NEW ULM — The District 88 school budget for the coming fiscal year, which starts July 1, was approved by the district school board Thursday, anticipating revenues of about $2 million below expenditures for the coming year.

The district’s General Fund, which finances most of the day to day operations of the school district, is expected to be $29,772,018, with expenditures of $31,783,617. The district’s other funds, food service, community education and debt redemption, bring the total budget up to $35,604,923 in revenues, with $37,579,730 in expenditures.

Business Manager Myrna Meunier walked the board through the various funds, highlighting how COVID-19 impacted the district last year, and where federal relief funds have helped meet the extra costs of keeping the school students and staff safe and healthy.

The actual revenue the district will receive this year will be affected by how many students enroll this year. Last year the district enrollment was 2,130, which Superintendent Jeff Bertrang said was much better than he had anticipated because of COVID. This year, the district is estimating 2,140 enrollment, but the exact figure won’t be known until school starts, and any upward or downward trends will affect how much the district receives from the state’s general fund formula.

The fund formula will be higher this year and next, thanks to the Education Budget bill approved by the Minnesota Legislature this week. It calls for a 2.4 percent increase in the general fund formula this year, and 2 percent next year, said Bertrang.

Exactly how much of the state’s new investment in education will filter throught to New Ulm remains to be seen, said Bertrang.

In other financial business for next year, the district school board approved a fee schedule that makes no changes in last year’s activities fees.

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In other beginning of the year business, the board approved the 2021-22 Local Literacy plan, which has the goal of getting all students reading well by third grade, said program director Melissa Hunter.

The board also renewed memberships with the Minnesota Rural Education Association, for $2,500, and the Minnesota School Boards Association, for $6,980 in dues and $730 for policy services renewal.

School nursing agreements for 2021-22 were approved, with EMS Nursing Consultation Services LLC for St. Paul’s Lutheran Elementary and Minnesota Valley Lutheran High School, and with T Principle Nursing Services LLC for New Ulm Area Catholic Schools.