Hello from the New Ulm Public Schools Business Office. It is strange to think of the place where children learn, play, make friends and memories for life as a business. Public Education in the New Ulm area is a $28 million business that has over 330 employees and 2,060 students. Our revenue comes from state aid (66 percent), local property taxes (16 percent) and local receipts (18 percent). Revenue can be volatile in a school district because it changes based on legislative decisions and the number of students attending the school district. Expenses, however, are generally a little more fixed from month to month because they are known. Salary and benefits for our employees make up about 70 percent of all expenses.

Contrary to what many people think, the business office is open in the summer time. During this time we are trying to wrap up one fiscal year and prepare for the next. I have the pleasure to work with the following business office staff: Lori Braun, Korynn Fischer, and Dru Wright.

Lori Braun is the District’s Bookkeeper. She helps families apply for the free and reduced food service program and also processes the applications. Lori orders most of the instructional items requested by staff. This includes anything from lumber and textbooks to kindles, computers, and sports equipment, whatever is needed and within the budget to educate students. Lori has worked for New Ulm Public Schools 22 years.

Korynn Fischer is the District’s Accountant. Korynn pays bills weekly for the district. She makes sure that a product is received, receipts are turned in, and services are provided before any bills are paid. Korynn is also responsible for monitoring the accuracy of our student counts to the State of Minnesota. Korynn has been with the district for three years.

Dru Wright is the district’s payroll coordinator. Dru is responsible for processing payroll twice a month, overseeing employee and retiree benefits, calculating employee time off, processing workers compensations claims and the infamous affordable care act reporting. Dru has worked for the District two years.

I am Myrna Meunier, your business manager for six years. My responsibilities include: approving purchases and bills before they are paid, reconciling the general ledger accounts, making sure reports are timely filed to the state, work with administrators to create an annual budget, continually manage the budget, and prepare for the annual audit.

These are just some of the major job functions of the business office. The bottom line of the business office is make sure the district is in compliance with state, federal and local laws while financially supporting the programs needed for our current students and at the same time being fiscally responsible so funding is available to support our students of tomorrow.