ESCANABA - The Escanaba School Board adopted the district's budget for fiscal year 2012-13, as well as multiple resolutions regarding the 2012-13 school year at Monday's school board meeting.
Escanaba Superintendent Michele Lemire highlighted the 2012-13 budget resolutions, which were previously discussed during a special public hearing last week.
According to Lemire, the district anticipates seeing revenues in the general fund totaling $21,242,398, with expenditures costing the district $21,827,548 over the course of the school year. The district expects a projected unreserved fund balance of $258,447 on June 30, 2013.
"The Hot Lunch Fund Resolution includes revenues in the amount of $1,050,530 and expenditures in the amount of $1,094,158, with a projected unreserved fund balance June 30, 2013 of $105,489," said Lemire.
The district's public improvement fund is anticipated to include revenues of $850 and expenditures totaling $65,000, leaving a projected reserved and designated fund balance of $29,135 in June 2013.
The board voted 6-1 to approve the 2012-13 budget, with Board President Cory Kuchenberg in opposition.
The school board also voted to approve final budget amendments for the 2011-12 fiscal year. Under the district's third budget amendment for the general fund, the district is expecting an $843,437 balance on June 30, 2012. As discussed at a previous board meeting, the board will be using some of this fund balance money to make up for an approximate $585,000 deficit in the 2012-13 general fund balance.
The board unanimously approved the final 2011-12 budget amendments for the district's general fund, as well as the hot lunch and public improvement funds.
The board also unanimously approved a resolution to allow the district to borrow funds not to exceed $4.2 million for cash flow purposes for the first part of the 2012-13 fiscal year, with an interest cost of $156,000, and unanimously approved a tentative labor agreement with the district's administrative bargaining group.
"The agreement calls for a zero percent increase on pay salary with steps granted, and to continue the current 80/20 insurance cost share for health, dental, vision and life, as recognized in the 2011-2012 school year," said Lemire.
No agreements were made with any of the district's other labor groups.
During public comment, Escanaba resident William Gasman commended the board.
"I'd just like to personally ... thank the board for the decisions on the budget - of passing it. I thought it was a very difficult task to accomplish," he said, adding that the board made decisions with the right priorities in mind.
In other business, the board:
adopted a resolution to comply with the Publically Funded Health Insurance Act, to limit the district's contribution to 80 percent of health and health-related insurance costs, rather than impose the hard cap formula. According to Lemire, the district's calculations project that complying with the act is in the district's best financial interest.
approved extending administrator and non-union personnel contracts for one year - from July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013.
awarded a bid to Roy Ness Contracting & Sales, of Escanaba, for improvements to the district's bus garage totaling $24,844. The goal of the improvements are to help make the building last a little longer for the district, and was part of the district's 2010 Bond Proposal for school improvements.