School board reviews preliminary budget

By Jolene FarleyThe Hills-Beaver Creek School Board reviewed 2004-05 preliminary budget numbers at a Monday meeting."I’m not trying to scare anybody, but I’m showing the cold hard facts," Superintendent Dave Deragisch said. Total revenues for the district decreased from $2,878,828 in the 2003-04 school year to $2,767,075 for the 2004-05 school year while total expenses increased from $2,878,668 to $3,140,850, a shortfall of $373,775. Deragisch explained a $14,264 increase in the transportation budget was due to rising fuel costs. He said a $32,734 decrease in capital spending was due to very limited purchasing. "We didn’t buy supplies this year because we didn’t have the money," he said. Debt service increased in this year’s budget because of the locker room project. Deragisch reiterated to the board that the budget is preliminary and school funding sources can change."When you’re talking budgets and you’re talking money," he said. "It’s coming and going."Later in the meeting, the board certified the $855 per student unit levy approved at the special meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 7. The levy would be payable beginning with 2005 property taxes.Voters in the Hills-Beaver Creek school district will decide in November whether to approve the proposal for the 10-year operating levy referendum.Choir and band tripVocal music teacher Jody Ackerman and instrumental music teacher Josh Hogburg updated the board on the choir and band trip in April. Former band instructor Brent Steinert began planning the four-day/three-night trip to Chicago last year. "We checked out prices and qualifications for groups," Ackerman said. He and Hogburg were the most comfortable with Group Travel Planners of St. Paul. The cost of the trip with Group Travel is estimated at $331 per person. This amount could increase if fewer than 60 students and chaperones signed up for the trip. Each student has a separate account for money they raised through different fundraisers to help pay for the cost of the trip. In other business …
Grant applications were submitted to the Rock County Family Services Collaborative for continuing the KidKare Program, the Reading, Math and Writing Family Nights, Summer Book of the Week Club. The district will know by the end of December the status of these grants.
Deragisch informed the board a contract was offered for the school social worker opening. The social worker is a joint position for the Rock County Collaborative (Rock County Family Services, Southwestern Mental Health, Luverne School District and Hills-Beaver Creek School District).H-BC is the financial agent for this position with the money coming from the collaborative. This allows federal special education reimbursement for the position.