Mitchell Board of Education Considering Budget Supplements

The meeting is scheduled to begin at 5:00 p.m. at the Common Grounds of the Mitchell Career & Technical Education Academy.

Joe Graves, superintendent of the Mitchell School District, said in the meeting agenda that budget supplements for a school district the size of Mitchell are not uncommon, and the recent COVID-19 pandemic has thrown schools away a number of curved balls which caused inevitable increases in spending.

“Budget supplements happen every year in a district our size. The “pandemic year,” in particular, turned out to be one with an unusual number of such, ”Graves said.

By state law, school district expenses must be approved by the board of education as part of the budgeting process. This usually means that the expenses are covered by the budget approved annually by the board. Occasionally, a significant additional expense becomes necessary and the board may approve them in advance through a budget amendment.

When a significant additional expense is required and becomes evident at or near budget close, a budget supplement is required. A budget supplement is the official recognition by the board of additional expenditure.

For Kindergarten to Grade 12, the board will consider budget supplements of $ 842,665 in the General Fund, $ 447,000 in the Capital Expenditure Fund, $ 20,000 in the Special Education Fund, $ 2,000 in the Driver Education Fund and $ 250,000 in the Food Services Fund.

Most of the budget supplements relate to increased spending due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Graves said.

The board is expected to hear public comments on the 2021-2022 budget and will then consider approving the budget itself. The annual budget adopted would be $ 20,583,158 in the general fund, $ 4,572,770 in the fixed assets fund, $ 2,086,469 in the restoration fund, $ 5,056,047 in the special education and $ 25,392,215 in combined post-secondary funds from Mitchell Technical College.

The tax deductions would be as follows: general fund, $ 1,409 per $ 1,000 of agricultural assessment (maximum authorized deductions); special education fund, $ 1,670 per $ 1,000 of total assessment (maximum allowed); down payment, $ 4,550,000 in taxes requested (or maximum that can be raised). The amount of the opt-out will be zero.

Staff

The board of directors is expected to consider the following personnel movements:

• New certified hires of Kendra Clark, 7th women’s basketball assistant coach, $ 1,857; Kimberly Bruguier, band assistant, $ 2,040 and Bethan Amundson, drumline, $ 2,346. All new certified hires are effective from the 2021-22 school year.

• New Classified Hires of John Fitzier, Para-educator at Mitchell High School, $ 15 per hour / 7.5 hours and Charlene Hilkemeier, Para-educator at Gertie Belle Rogers Elementary School, $ 12.25 per hour / 7.25 hours. The two classified hires will take effect on August 18, 2021.

• Transfers from Erin Miller, Special Education Para-educator at Longfellow Elementary School to Computer Assistant / Special Education Para-educator at Longfellow Elementary School and Connie Tschoepe, Special Education Para-educator at LB Williams Elementary School to Education Para-educator Honors at Mitchell Middle School. Both transfers are effective for the 2021-22 school year.

• The resignations of basketball coach Cassey Ver Hey effective in the 2021-22 school year and Scott Heide, continuation, effective June 11, 2021.

Other business

Also at the meeting, the board should:

• Consider approving the high school textbook for the 2021-22 school year.

• Consider approving a public hearing on the 2021-2022 K-14 budgets for the Mitchell School District, including Mitchell Technical College.

• Consider approving a resolution to adopt the 2021-2022 K-14 budgets.

• Listen to reports from council members.

• Listen to the superintendent’s report.

• Listen to comments from the public.

The meeting is open to the public.