SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Elementary (SLE) Board discussed a projected budget deficit and SLE Outside’s balance sheet at the Feb. 21 meeting. The board also received a board member’s resignation and has an upcoming election for two board positions.
Next year’s budget is projected to be about $5,000 short of this year’s. Part of the problem is that this year’s budget was basically flat from the previous year while costs have climbed every year.
District Clerk Sally Johnson cautioned that there might be some changes to funding due to the ongoing legislative session but she felt that the odds of getting higher funding is slim.
The shortfall is linked to a lower enrollment. State funding is based on the higher of either the current year’s enrollment or a three-year average. Enrollment has been fairly stable the last three years running just fewer than 170 but in 2014 the school had an enrollment of more than 180 thus bringing up the average.
Last May, SLE ran a $17,000 levy that taxpayers approved to make up the budget shortfall for the 2016-2017 school year.
Superintendent Chris Stout recommended they find ways to absorb the projected budget deficit rather than going to the taxpayer for a levy for the 2017-2018 school year. The school is limited on how much they can ask for. Stout said that if the school had to pay for the election, there would be very little benefit to asking voters for such a small amount. The board agreed.
Next year’s budget will be on the board agenda in the coming months till it’s resolved.
The board reviewed the balance sheet for the SLE Outside store. As of November, the store shows approximately $60,000 of inventory for resale and approximately a negative $10,000 in cash.
Johnson said the purpose of the balance sheet was to show the board that if the store had to be liquidated it would come out in the black.
Johnson explained that some of the inventory was not included because it is being used for rentals and the SLE Outdoor Program. If the store needed to be liquidated, the rental inventory would stay with the school so it was not included. The value of that inventory was not available at the meeting.
The board maintained its position that no money from the general fund would be used to support the store.
Figuring out next year’s school budget is Johnson’s priority so she was unable to split the SLE Outdoor store numbers out further for the board to review at the meeting.
Board member Justin Loconte emailed in his resignation citing personal circumstances. Loconte’s position is up for election this spring. The board decided to continue with four board members until the election instead of trying to find someone to appoint.
In addition to Loconte’s position, Todd Johnson’s term is also up for election. Both positions are three-year terms. The election will be a mail-in ballot.
The deadline to apply for the board positions is March 23. More information can be found in the legal notice on page 15.
In other business, the board discussed next year’s calendar. Neither Stout, nor the board members have had any comments from people wanting to explore a four-day school week so a five-day calendar will be proposed.
Stout said he plans on matching the high school’s schedule for the most part. SLE would probably start later in the fall and end earlier for summer break than the high school due to taking fewer days off for teacher training during the school year.
The next scheduled board meeting is 5 p.m. March 14 at SLE.
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