During the June 22 meeting, the Moorhead School Board approved the district’s annual operating plan, which includes the preliminary budget for the 2015-16 school year. General fund revenues are projected at $68.9 million with expenses projected to be $67.6 million.
The district’s revenues for 2015-16 will increase primarily because of a 2 percent increase to the general education aid formula and an estimated increase in student enrollment. Expenditures are increasing as the district continues to address the operating levy priorities and adds approximately 17.09 full-time equivalent teaching and support staff positions. Additionally, two school buses will be purchased in 2015-16 to continue upgrading the district’s bus fleet.
According to Assistant Superintendent Brandon Lunak, this is the fifth year of the operating levy referendum funding and the district continues to adhere to the operating levy priorities. The AOP includes projected balanced budgets for the next three years. Revenues are projected to exceed expenditures by approximately $1.3 million for fiscal year 2016, by $1.4 million for fiscal year 2017 and by $360,000 for fiscal year 2018.
Assuming no increases in revenue from the state, current projections show the district would not have a balanced budget in 2018-19. The operating levy would need to be renewed or reductions would be needed to balance the budget, Lunak said.
The food service fund is over budget for 2015-16. However nearly $300,000 in expenditures will cover one-time expenses related to the Probstfield kitchen expansion being completed this summer.
Some of the larger capital projects for 2015-16 include completing the repair of the Moorhead High School swimming pool ventilation system, upgrading the elevator at Moorhead High School, conversion of a space at Moorhead High to a classroom, and roof work at Ellen Hopkins Elementary. Playground expansions being done this summer at Hopkins Elementary and S.G. Reinertsen Elementary are being paid for in part with contributions from the schools’ PTACs.