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Superintendent Todd Burlingame told the board that the district office staff had reviewed revenue and expenditures and recommended the changes to the budget. General fund expenditures increased by $64,000 in the revised budget, including contract settlements since June, transportation costs, etc. The largest increase occurred in special education due to student needs.

Burlingame told the board he hoped they would not actually have to spend all the budgeted expenditures and predicted the district's budget would turn out pretty well. The budget now predicts a general fund deficit of nearly $85,000 and an overall deficit of $58,000.

2004-05 Revised Budget
Fund   Revenue   Expenditures
General - $8,429,399 - $8,514,397
Food Service - $393,700 - $404,841
Comm. Ed. - $268,822 - $268,185
Debt Redemption - $849,779 - $812,668
TOTALS - $9,941,700 - $10,000,091
DEFICIT - $58,391

2004-05 Original Budget
Fund   Revenue   Expenditures
General - $8,418,728 - $8,450,392
Food Service - $389,200 - $405,191
Comm. Ed. - $256,582 - $249,274
Debt Redemption - $849,779 - $812,668
TOTALS - $9,914,289 - $9,917,525
DEFICIT - $3,236

*The board reviewed financials for the Community Education program and the fitness center from Community Education director Matt Dickhausen. Community Education had revenue of $208,635 in 2003-04 and expenditures of $162,683. Revenue came from fees ($163,518) and levy and aid ($55,117). Community Education deferred $25,000 in revenue to next year.

The fitness center, included in the overall Community Education program, had revenues of $40,494 and expenses of $32,517. It deferred $15,000 in revenue to next year to represent patrons who have paid memberships for the coming year, meaning they have paid for services the fitness center has yet to render.

*The board approved a staff development request from the vocational instructors for $1,272. The vocational areas - agriculture, business, family and consumer science, industrial technology, and land transportation - are in the purchasing stage of the six-year curriculum cycle, and the nine teachers are going to attend meetings hosted by the Central Minnesota Tech Prep Consortium to meet with colleagues (since the departments are so small locally). The staff development money will cover mileage to the meetings, sub pay, and a visitation day for the vocational teachers to visit other schools.

*The board also saw a demonstration of the school district's new website by Dickhausen, the webmaster. The site, at www.paynesvilleschools.com, includes staff e-mails, the school menu, school cancellations, maps to the school buildings, board agenda and minutes, various forms, and a link to the West Central Conference site that has sports schedules and results.

*The board accepted the resignation of Barb Hanson as the district substitute caller for the 2004-05 school year and approved hiring Deb Nehowig to be the substitute caller for the remainder of the year. *The board accepted a resignation request from Laura Lindeman, an instruction assistant at the middle school. The district is taking applications to fill this position.

*The board approved a new custodial seniority list.

*The board approved an assurance of compliance with state and federal law prohibiting discrimination for the 2004-05 school year.

*The board was reminded that they will meet on the first and third Tuesdays of December. The board will meet on Tuesday, Dec. 7, at 7 p.m. for its truth-and-taxation hearing and at 8 p.m. for its regular meeting. Both are at the media center at the elementary school. The board will meet at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 21, at the media center at the middle school in order to meet with the student advisory committees from the middle and high schools.