In its Monday, April 19, meeting, the Pequot Lakes School Board heard from Business Manager Heidi Hagen regarding parameters for the district's 2022 budget.
As it currently stands, the district would operate in fiscal year 2022 with $25,839,739 in revenues against $24,768,704 in total expenditures, leading to a surplus of $1,071,035, thanks in part to federal COVID-19 funds brought into the district.
“We're looking at a sizable surplus that is solely because of the COVID one-time federal funding,” Hagen said. “The assumption there is that we are going to be receiving just under $800,000 of one-time funding.”
In other business, the board declined to renew the contracts of four noncertified paraprofessionals, as well as the contract of one probationary teaching position, due to a possible lack of need for these positions in the next school year. Superintendent Chris Lindholm said the board does this process every spring, as paraprofessional positions are there for special education students, whose enrollment numbers can fluctuate quite a bit.
“We want to be fair to our employees and let them know that there may be a job next fall, but we just can't promise it today, and we won't know until August,” Lindholm said.
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In other action Monday, the board:
Approved staffing proposals requesting the addition of 4.5 full-time employees for fiscal year 2022.
Approved a 2023 Spanish Club trip to Costa Rica.
Accepted two donations to the district totaling $1,485.
As a part of its consent agenda, the board approved the retirement of elementary music teacher Chris Nick and the resignations of dance coach Melissa Owen, paraprofessional Desera Laabs, middle school track coach Matt Kraska and high school special education teacher Stacey Wentzel.
Board members also approved a leave of absence for bus driver Richard Pederson and hired Community Education Director Joell Tvedt, middle school secretary Christina Reuper, sixth-grade reading/writing teacher Mykala Griffin, “C” team softball coach Emily Buell and middle school track coaches Chuck Eggert and Alex Diaz.
Dan Determan may be reached at 218-855-5879 or dan.determan@pineandlakes.com. Follow him on Facebook and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/@PEJ_Dan.
