By Jolene Farley
The Hills-Beaver Creek School Board approved an unbalanced preliminary budget during its regular meeting Monday.
The 2002-03 budget lists $2,942,127 in revenues and $3,003,512 in expenses for the district.
Superintendent Dave Deragisch emphasized there are other funding sources he will pursue to balance the budget before the start of the school year.
In addition, he estimated high in the general expense category so the district would have additional monies on hand for locker room additions if needed.
"I'd rather err on the side of being cautious," he said. "I've not factored in any of the open-enrolled students. Students are the biggest factor in generating aid."
Deragisch said if the student count changes before the start of school this fall, he'll need to sit down and refigure the budget.
Based on a 303 student count, district revenue projections are $1,906,942 in general aid, $438,000 in levy dollars, $155,000 in special education dollars, $39,166 in Title I, $14,170 in Title II, $2,063 in Title VI, $10,000 in grants and $40,000 in miscellaneous receipts.
Food service is projected to receive $103,000 in state and federal funding.
Community Service, which includes Driver's Education, Community Education, ECFE, and Learning Readiness, is budgeted $70,187 from fees, the levy, state aid and various sources.
Debt service is budgeted $161,099 in levy revenue. The district will also receive $2,500 state aid to offset the cost of open-enrolled students in other districts.
The cost to educate a pupil at H-BC is around $6,500, less than the state average, according to Deragisch.
The expense budget includes $2,384,350 in general expenses, the bulk of which is teacher salaries and benefits, according to Deragisch.
A transportation budget of $145,806 includes all costs associated with busing students.
A capital expense of $157,010 is debt service on the elementary school.
Food service is budgeted $113,365 for next year and community service will receive $56,715.
Deragisch said some state and federal funding is based on the number of reduced lunch families in the district. The board thinks there are many in the district that would qualify but haven't filled out the form.
"All the money that is generated is more than just food service," he said.
In other board business:
A staff development committee formed a district-wide goal to integrate kindergarten through 12th- grade curriculum, according to board member Ann Boeve. Separate goals were also formed for the elementary school and the high school.
"I think it is really exciting," said Boeve. "It will really benefit the teachers which will benefit the students."
Teachers and staff will meet to determine the best ways to reach the new goals.
The board approved a one-year contract with the Connecticut-based company, Leader Services. Many Minnesota schools use Leader Services to locate state and federal grants available for medical services.
"They (Leader Services) are paid 10 percent of what they collect," said Deragisch. "The more they generate for our school, the more they make."
The next school board meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. Monday, July 15.