Luverne School District expenditures top $20 million

Expenditures topped $20 million in the Luverne School District, according to the annual fiscal audit ending June 30.
Jim Gilman with Conway, Deuth and Schmiesing of Willmar presented the audit overview at the School Board’s Nov. 26 meeting.
From July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2019, the district’s overall revenues were $18.8 million while overall expenditures totaled $20.9 million.
“They’ve been on an ever-so-slight enrollment decline,” Gilman said after the meeting. “This is to be expected — nothing out of the ordinary.”
Student enrollment for 2018-19 was 1,233, down from 1,241 the previous year.
The increase in overall expenditures was also due to the district’s current construction project that cost $3.633 million during the audit period.
Revenue for construction during the same timeframe was $517,081. The building construction fund had a balance of $27 million as of June 30.
In the district’s other funds, food service also had an increase in expenditures in 2018-19 of $611,878 out of a budgeted $583,080.
“Food service in a lot of schools takes a bit of a hit depending on the number of students served,” Gilman said.
However, the general fund came in at $908,598 under the projected $14.99 million budget.
In addition to providing student services, the general fund also includes student transportation, instructional and student support programs, and maintenance and capital expenditures, which had several planned projects put on hold during the audit timeframe due to this year’s construction activities and led to the positive fund balance going into the current fiscal year.
“We still have a long list of projects still coming up,” Gilman said.
The community service fund also came in under budget by $9,434. Officials spent $567,806 of the planned $577,240 budget.
The debt service fund balance for the district saw an increase of $150,047. The district spent $2.05 million of the $2.2 million budgeted amount.
 
In other business, board members:
•gave approval for students to participate in and fundraise for the high school’s First Robotics competitive team.
•accepted the resignation of Caitlin Altman, paraprofessional, effective Nov. 8.
•finalized the hiring of Cassie Snyders, paraprofessional, effective Nov. 11; Amy Hamann, paraprofessional, Nov. 18; Danielle Kneip, long-term substitute elementary teacher for Dana Wolf from Dec. 26 to April 27, 2020; Joel Evans and Lance Ripka, volunteer wrestling coaches; Brayden Jacobsma, seventh-grade boys basketball coach; Chris DenHoed, assistant varsity boys hockey coach; Kaden Ericson, volunteer boys hockey coach; and Cody Gehrke, volunteer gymnastics coach.
•authorized medical leave for Amanda Fields, elementary teacher, for four weeks beginning Jan. 4, 2020; and maternity leave for Amy VonHoltum, elementary teacher, for seven weeks beginning March 1, 2020.