PAYNESVILLE -- The Paynesville Area School Board approved a revised budget Tuesday with a smaller projected deficit.
When the 2005-06 budget was approved last June, the district did not factor in any increase in state funding because the state Legislature had not reached a budget solution by then.
The proposed budget then showed a $354,751 deficit, with $243,496 of that in the general fund.
The revised budget now shows a $12,688 deficit in the general fund with a $114,643 total deficit for all funds, Superintendent Todd Burlingame said.
The general fund deficit will be made up with the district's fund balance. The balance will then be reduced from $755,170 to $742,482, Burlingame said.
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Burlingame said the budget should be "just fine."
"We're hoping to control our expenditures," he said.
Also at the meeting, the board had a 45-minute discussion about a proposed attendance policy. The district is considering adding penalties for multiple unexcused absences. The board discussed how unexcused and excused absences should be defined, Burlingame said.
More revisions will be made to the proposal, and the board will discuss it at its Feb. 7 meeting, Burlingame said.
The board also heard a presentation from High School Principal Lorie Floura. Some students have more than one study hall and Floura would like them to be limited to one, Burlingame said.
She also suggested increasing the number of credits required for graduation and requiring all middle school students to take a music or humanities class to reduce the number of students in study halls, he said.
The board discussed how much those proposals might cost in terms of adding staff. The suggestions will be discussed again after student registration next month, Burlingame said.
Also Tuesday, the board learned that the district selected Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College in Cloquet to provide college-credit courses at the high school next year.
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The district already has an arrangement with Southwest State University in Marshall for English classes and that will remain the same, Burlingame said.
Fond du Lac will offer calculus and macro-economics next school year. Other classes, such as physics and micro-economics, also will be offered. Class offerings will switch off every other year, except for calculus, which will be offered every year, Burlingame said.
In other business, the board:
- Approved changing the district's group life insurance carrier from Reliance Standard to Harleysville, effective March 1. Harleysville offers the same services, but will save the district $2,400 annually.
- Retained Madison National Life for the district's group long-term disability insurance.
- Directed the administration to consider budget adjustments and programs for the 2006-07 school year.
