EM school board approves Fund 10 spending to zero out budget

By LeAnn R. Ralph

ELK MOUND — The Elk Mound Board of Education has approved spending money out of the general fund to zero out the 2013-2014 school year budget — if necessary.

Dr. Ron Walsh, Elk Mound district administrator, said at the school board’s June 16 meeting that the district is within $50,000 of getting the school year budget “to zero.”

“My goal is to finish at zero,” Dr. Walsh said.

 Year-end projects for the school district are nearly complete. The biggest project was converting the school bells and the clocks to digital, he said.

Other projects that will be finished this month include a storage shed and the north end of the high school sidewalk, Dr. Walsh said.

Because the budget is so close to zero, it is possible that an unforeseen expenditure, such as receiving a corrected invoice, or a late-billing on an invoice, could necessitate drawing money out of the general fund for the 2013-2014 budget, he said.

The Elk Mound Board of Education unanimously approved a motion to allow spending from Fund 10 if necessary prior to July 1.

Budget variance

The Elk Mound school board also approved the budget variance report representing all of the budget changes that have occurred throughout the year.

The school district is expecting an additional $50,000 in revenue for the 2013-2014 school year, most of which is open enrollment revenue, Dr. Walsh said.

The $50,000 will be put into the instructional budget, and all together about $230,000 will be transferred from different areas of the budget, he said.

Much of the extra money comes from small items, such as a district employee deciding to take health insurance for an individual rather than for a family, Dr. Walsh noted.

The Board of Education unanimously approved the budget variance report.

Other business

In other business, the Elk Mound Board of Education:

• Recognized Cyndi Samson with a Notable Educational Contribution award for her service to the district as a substitute teacher. Samson is always upbeat and positive, said Eric Wright, Elk Mound Middle School principal. “The kids seek her out (at school events), and the staff enjoys having her as a substitute because they know the work will get done,” he said, noting that Samson volunteered to accompany the eighth grade class on a field trip to Valleyfair because she enjoys being with the students. Samson previously worked in Colfax as an assistant to the village clerk.

• Learned that the Summer Academy at Mound View Elementary has more than 100 students in attendance.

• Learned that the Summer Reading Challenge has challenged Mound View students to read 2,000 minutes this summer (33 hours). Students who complete the reading challenge will have their names entered in a drawing for various prizes.

• Accepted the resignation of Cheryl Kufner, a food service worker in the school district.

• Scheduled the preliminary budget hearing and regular board meeting for July 28 beginning at 6:45 p.m.

• Scheduled the regular school board meeting and annual meeting for August 25. The regular board meeting will begin at 6:45 p.m., and the annual meeting and budget hearing will begin at 8 p.m.