Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
At the NR-S regular school board meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 9, NR-S Business Manager Dave Skogen presented the district’s preliminary budget for the 2022-23 school year.
Ahead of Tuesday’s meeting, Skogen put together a detailed presentation for board members, which highlighted the most notable aspects of the preliminary budget.
Regarding anticipated revenue, Skogen said NR-S is expecting $3,067,734.31 in foundation aid, an increase of $194,037 over the previous school year.
The increase, he added, comes thanks to increased enrollment for the district, as well as a 1 percent increase in “per student payment” thanks to 2021 legislation.
Also listed under revenue is more than $400,000 in Esser funds, as well as $1,180,224 in property taxes.
Inflation became a major topic of discussion when it came time to talk about anticipated expenditures.
According to Skogen, the average pump price for contracted transportation was $3.98 for the 2021-22 school year. Since then the average pump price had skyrocketed to $5.39 as of May, which is what the anticipated transportation costs in the 2022-23 budget is based on.
However, Skogen also noted that diesel prices are already going down, and are expected to continue decreasing throughout the year, potentially reaching $4.07/gallon in 2023.
All totaled, New Rockford-Sheyenne’s preliminary budget for the 2022-23 school year accounts for $5,318,169.92 in expected expenses.
Around 41 percent of that money goes towards certified staff and student strategies, while nine percent goes to East Central, eight percent goes towards administration and a further five percent goes to transportation.
Meanwhile, the preliminary budget anticipates $5,335,156.90 in revenue in the coming school year, a difference of about $17,000.
“We’re sitting in a pretty decent spot,” said Skogen.
The school board will approve the district’s final budget at their regular meeting in September.
Skogen’s full presentation is available on the school’s website under the “district info” and “board packet” tabs.
The board also discussed a proposed football co-op agreement between NR-S and Maddock Public School, which came about after Maddock School District officials approached NR-S about the potential agreement.
NR-S Athletic Director and Head Football Coach, Elliott Belquist, expressed his support for the co-op, which would take effect beginning in 2023. The board agreed with Belquist’s position and approved the agreement, which was then sent to the Maddock School Board, who must now approve or disapprove the agreement.
The Maddock School Board’s decision will be covered in a future edition of the Transcript.
Before adjourning, the board approved the “consolidated application budget” as well as a number of open enrollment applications.
During a special meeting on Thursday, July 25, the NR-S board also approved a recommendation to hire Jennifer Whitman, “contingent upon procurement of proper licensure,” as an elementary teacher for the 2022-23 school year.
The next regular school board meeting is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 12 at 7 p.m. Immediately preceding that meeting, a public levy meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m.
