By Jolene FarleyThe Hills-Beaver Creek School Board reviewed an audit summary for the district’s fiscal year ending June 30 at a Monday meeting.The audit was prepared by Turbes, Drealan, Kvilhaug and Company, certified public accountants. A representative of the company attended the meeting to present the information and answer questions.After taking increased revenues and expenditures into account from the locker room project, the district’s unreserved general fund balance decreased by $177,600, according to the report."The bottom line is we spent more than we made last year and that was kind of a goal," Superintendent Dave Deragisch said. "But we have to put the brakes on now."The board and Deragisch were advised last year by Turbes, Drealan, Kvilhaug and Company to consider decreasing the general fund balance. The board was told that with the state’s budget uncertainties, districts with an overly healthy fund balance could be penalized. Revenues for 2003 were $3,418,709, increasing from $2,892,272 in 2002. Much of the increase can be attributed to funds allocated for the locker room project. Total expenditures were $3,077,396, increasing from $2,772,863 in 2002. The increase in expenditures stem from the locker room project and payments made to the Luverne district for special education costs accrued over the past few years. Hiring another teacherElementary Principal Todd Holthaus presented a proposal to the board to hire a quarter-time teacher for $11,500. The teacher would work with half of the fifth-grade class half of the day for the last semester of the 2003-04 school year. There are currently 29 students in the fifth-grade class and another student is expected at semester time.Substitute teacher Mary Siegfried has indicated an interest in remaining with the district. She is currently filling in for Chris Louwagie while he recovers from a car accident. The students would be split into two groups in the morning, with the new teacher’s main focus on reading and math. Needed repairsDeragisch informed the board that the heating system in the high school, constructed in 1921, was repaired over the Christmas break. A defective thermostat on the third floor previously allowed the temperature to rise to more than 90 degrees. In addition to the third floor, there are other areas in the building that are still overheating due to defective thermostats, according to Deragisch."If our system was current, it would be very easy to come in and fix," Deragisch said. Parts for the heating system are no longer manufactured so repairmen have to make replacement parts themselves. Repairmen told Deragisch the heating system should either be replaced or some of the radiators removed and capped to try and keep temperatures in a normal range. Deragisch was unsure if removing the radiators would fix the problem or make some of the rooms too cold.Costs for replacing the system are estimated at $50,000 to $100,000. Any work to the system would be done during the summer while school wasn’t in session.November and December fuel oil costs for the elementary school were $2,274. Fuel oil costs for the high school were $12,410.Elementary enrollmentElementary enrollment as of Jan. 12 is 153, according to Elementary Principal Todd Holthaus. Next year’s kindergarten class will tentatively have 18 students. Little Patriot Academy preschool enrollment in the Monday-Wednesday class is 16 students. The Tuesday-Thursday class has 15 students.
