News

School holds budget meeting

By Scott Wagar

09/17/2013

The Bottineau School Board held its budget meeting on Sept. 10 and saw an estimated revenue for the 2013-14 school year at $7,817,016, which after expenditures will leave the district with revenues equal to expenditures.

“This is an increase from last year,” said Jason Kersten, superintendent of the Bottineau School District. “The district is receiving more money from the state this year. I am pleased the district is estimating basically a balanced budget.”

When it comes to mills, the school district will see the following levies:

•  General Fund – 60 mills
•  Miscellaneous – 1.89 mills
•  Building – 5.85 mills

“A mill is .001 of the taxable valuation. The district is estimating the taxable valuation for the 2013-14 school year at $27,476,306,” Kersten said. “One mill is valued at $27,476.”

The financial numbers for the school budget are estimated at this time because the taxable valuation will not take place in the state until October, leaving the mill levy unknown.

“School districts must have their Certificate of Levy submitted to the county by Oct. 10.  This form shows the dollars the school district is asking from the county.  Because the taxable valuation is not finalized at this time, we will not know what the mills are.  The district will have a 60 mill general fund levy,” Kersten said.

“The miscellaneous and Building fund mills may change depending on whether or not the taxable valuation increases or decreases.  If the taxable valuation increases, the mills will decrease.  If the taxable valuation decreases, the mills will increase.  The taxable valuation is normally finalized after Oct. 10.  The district then receives their taxable valuation and tax levies in December,” Kersten added.

In other school board news, the subject of not being able to obtain substitute bus drivers was a primary issue in the meeting.

Subs for bus driving are presently lacking in the school district. The primary complaint by those being asked and not taking a position as a sub is due to the amount of money they receive, which equals $25 per trip or $50 a day.

A full time bus driver averages around $60 to $70 a day with mileage granted to the driver (mileages differs per route). The full-time driver also receives benefits like sick leave and personal days off.

To increase the chances of getting more subs in the district, the school board made the decision to pay subs $35 per trip with $10 being paid by the district and the remaining $25 being paid by the district or the bus drivers if they utilize their sick and personal days off.

“I think this is a good way of handling sub pay for both the district and the driver,” Kersten said. “Hopefully, the increase will enable the district to entice more individuals to sub drive.”