EM school board approves spending fund balance to close out budget

By LeAnn R. Ralph

ELK MOUND — If you don’t use it, you lose it.

That was the premise the Elk Mound Board of Education operated under for approving a motion at the June 17 meeting to spend Fund 10 revenue if necessary to zero out the budget for 2012-2013.

“We like to get (the budget) as close to zero as possible,” said Dr. Ron Walsh, superintendent of schools.

Spending the budget down to zero might, however, mean spending $30,000 to $50,000 more than budgeted, he said.

In that case, the school district would need to use money from Fund 10 to cover the expenditures, he said.

The Elk Mound school district receives about 75 percent of its revenue from state aid.

If, for example, the school district did not spend $50,000, then the district would receive less state aid the following year and the taxpayers would have to pay that portion, Dr. Walsh noted.

At 75 percent state aid on $50,000, $37,500 would come from the state, and the local taxpayers would pay $12,500.

“We have to use all of the dollars we can, especially when we are highly aided,” said Tim Sivertson, president of the Board of Education.

The Elk Mound Board of Education voted unanimously to allow spending Fund 10 money if necessary for the 2012-2013 budget.

Other business

In other business, the Elk Mound Board of Education:

• Discussed the possibility of adding golf as a sport. The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) must receive notification by August 1 of any new sports that have been added, said Paul Weber, high school principal and the district’s athletic director. The Board of Education could take action on adding golf at the July meeting.

• Approved the 2012-2013 budget variance report. Dr. Walsh noted that the remaining underground fuel storage tank was scheduled to be removed later in the week and that the cost would be about $7,500. Dr. Walsh also made several recommendations, including the transfer of $220,000 into the retirement account, which is an irrevocable trust, and would be one of the payments that would help zero out the budget.

• Accepted the resignation of Kari Kallio as the high school softball coach.

• Accepted the resignation of Mark Lundin at the middle school and high school choral instructor.

• Granted an early retirement request from Karla Jenson as a bus driver and teacher’s aide.

• Accepted the resignation of Wendy Stuttgen as the director of special education.

• Approved participating in the CESA No. 10 grant to replace high school video classroom equipment. The grant is a maximum match of up to $35,000. New video classroom equipment would provide a more interactive educational environment.

Following a closed session, the Elk Mound Board of Education:

• Approved hiring Dylan Pronschinske as the head high school softball coach and Brandon Powell as the assistant coach. Pronschinske was hired in May as the high school math teacher, and Powell was hired in May as the middle school science teacher. Powell is an Elk Mound graduate.

• Approved hiring Jonathon Langreck as a special education teacher.

• Approved expanding the district’s technology contract for a shared venture with CESA No. 10 to allow Mike Van Slambrouck, Elk Mound’s technology director, to work on a video conferencing project.

The Elk Mound Board of Education meets next on July 29 for a preliminary budget hearing and a regular school board meeting. The district’s annual meeting is scheduled for August 26.