ISD 279 School Board Adopts 2013 Budget

The Osseo School District 279 School Board members didn't have any questions about the proposed $207.5 million budget at their June 19 meeting.

That's because, since November, the school board has hosted five working sessions in order to complete budget planning, conduct a situational analysis and review the state's financial outlook.

Kim Riesgraf, ISD 279 assistant superintendent of administration, and Kelly Benusa, ISD 279 director of business services, presented the fiscal year 2013 budget numbers to board members this week.

According to school board documents, the district estimates that they will receive $3 million more in revenue for fiscal year 2013 than the March 6, 2012 estimate. 

Even with more revenue, the budget still included an $8.8 million deficit. 

"I'm glad our revenues are up, and our expenditures are down," Director Tammy Epley said at the school board meeting. "All of the people who are involved are willing to make sacrifices to help us make the years coming up look a little less grim."

The district expects to spend $207 million during the coming fiscal year with about $130 million going toward teacher salaries. 

"Overall, our salaries are coming in $4 million better than we had anticipated," Benusa said in her presentation to the school board. 

Benefits will cost the district $2.8 million more, according to school board documents. That increase includes a 0.5 percent increase in the Teachers Retirement Association rate effective July 1, which accounts for $655,434 of the benefits increase overall.

Included in the budget was roughly $2 million of staffing reduction needed to align with enrollment, and a $1 million reduction in programs and services in order to preserve the fund balance.

Last March, the District 279 School Board agreed to for the 2012-2013 school year. The decision impacted the equivalent of about 35 full time jobs in the school district.