NEW ULM – The fiscal year 2025 budget was approved by the District 88 school board Thursday.

The budget as presented showed total revenues of $39.6 million with $40.9 million in expenditures for 2025.

Before approval, the district’s business manager Barbie Roessler gave an overview of the budget, starting with enrollment numbers. Roessler said student enrollment is the top driver of revenue received by the state. Since 2017, the school has maintained a steady enrollment of around 2,150 students. It is anticipated the school will remain at 2,150 students in 2025.

Currently, the district is anticipating an overall revenue decrease from the 2024 budget. The majority of this decrease is from Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds, which will not be available after 2024. ESSER funds accounted for over $1 million in federal funds. Some ESSER funds are available. The district has until Sept. 30, 2024, to use ESSER funds and will see payment from them.

The majority of District 88’s funding comes from State Aid, about 78% ($25.8 million). Around 16% ($5.4 million) is coming from property. The loss of the ESSER fund brings federal revenue down to 3% ($1 million).

The district will also see a slight decrease in expenditures. The school will see a reduction in purchases, including a decrease in capital expenses.

The largest budgeted expenses are salary and wages accounts, which account for 54% of expenditures ($18.5 million). Employee benefits are 24% of expenditures ($8 million).

“Seventy-eight percent of our budget goes to people, our greatest asset in the district,” Roessler said. “That is very common in all districts.”

The board unanimously approved the fiscal year 2025 budget as presented.

In other news, the board approved the 2024-2025 Local Literacy Plan and K-4 Math Resource recommendation.

Jefferson Elementary Principal Denise Einck provided the board with an overview of the Local Literacy plan. The plan is an extension of Read Well Third Grade, which was part of the federal program. Recently, Minnesota established the Read Act and the local literacy program was moved into this program.

“Previously the literacy program only contained K-3,” Einck said. “Now it contains K-12, that is probably the main change to the literacy plan.”

The first part of the Read Act includes district goals. The goals for District 88 are to increase student growth in state/national assessments by 3% each year and to advance equity, diversity and inclusion at the school.

The Read Act also calls for a universal and dyslexia screening. Einck said the district was already using a state-approved method of screening called FastBridge.

“We have a lot of this in place, which is a good thing for us,” Einck said.

The schools currently have this screener in place for students in kindergarten through 8th Grade. A screener for grades 9-12 is still being determined. The district has until next year to find a dyslexia screener for

the high school.

Einck said the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) has not released data for identifying dyslexia criteria. This means the school could screen students for dyslexia, but could not identify which student qualified as having dyslexia.

Einck said by next year, MDE should provide information on how to use FastBridge to identify dyslexia.

“Once a student is screened in and it is determined assistance is needed, what will the district do to assist a student with dyslexia?” asked Board member Matt Ringhofer.

“I think the plan will continue as we do now,” Einck said. “Any student that an area of deficient, we try to fill that need…whether a student has dyslexia, second-language or special ed qualification, they all need good [literacy] teaching.

The board unanimously approved the local literacy plan as presented.

Curriculum and Instruction Coordinator Amanda Thorson gave a presentation on the K-4th Math Resource recommendation.

Thorson recommended using “Bridges in Mathematics” as the anchor resource in K-4 math. There are four guiding principles in the Bridges in Mathematics program:

1. Everyone can make sense of mathematics.

2. Mathematics is a joyful way to make sense of the world

3. Learning for deep mathematical understanding is empowering.

4. All students deserve a safe and productive learning environment.

Thorson said this program approaches mathematics by instilling curiosity in children with many entry points to discuss and play with math. The program also helps the student identify where their strengths are in problem-solving.

Thorson said this plan was being recommended because it fostered collaboration, developed deep understanding and gave the opportunity to think independently.

The board unanimously approved the recommendation to use Bridges in Mathematics as the K-4 mat source.

The next District 88 Study Session will be held 5 p.m. on Thursday, July 11, 2024, in the

District Conference Room, 414 South Payne Street, and the next regular school board meeting will be held 5 p.m. Thursday, July 25, 2024 in the District Boardroom, 414 South Payne Street.