Carlton schools budget stays red

Despite making $143,000 in cuts, the Carlton school board faces an approval Monday of a 2020 budget that shows the district $580,809 in the red when comparing expenditures versus revenue.

At a discussion meeting Monday, business manager Renee Eiffler said the budget for next year is still comprised of a “lot of unknowns. We deal with what we know.”

School districts in Minnesota are required to submit a yearly budget by July 1. Eiffler and superintendent Gwen Carmen said there will undoubtedly be amendments to the budget expected to be approved Monday by the board. In the past year, the board amended the budget twice, both times increasing the anticipated deficit.

The cuts made include two teaching positions, one at the elementary and one at the high school. That represents the bulk of the $143,000 savings. The board will hold a public hearing at Monday’s meeting to discuss raising student activities fee by $5 to $10 across the board for most sports. That includes raising the parking permit from $10 to $20.

The district would also begin charging higher fees for theater, robotics, Math League and Knowledge Bowl participation. It would also charge $50 for band instrument rental.

The fee changes would add about $9,000 to the budget. The district still has class structure, transportation changes and overall staffing to consider.

“This type of budget is not sustainable,” Carmen said. She said there needs to be more talk in the coming year on how the district can end the current cycle of deficit budgets. Each year, such budgets eat into the fund reserves districts are required to keep. “The fund balance is important,” Carmen said. “The reality is it just takes time to get a set budget.” She said the most accurate accounting of the district’s finances will come in the yearly audit in October.

Declining enrollment has been a leading cause of the deficits.

There was little discussion from board members on the budget numbers.

Selling the school?

There were comments on the possibility of Carlton County purchasing the high school, which sits next to its jail in Carlton. The county wants to expand its facility and, board members said, after years of dangling the prospect of buying the school property, county board members have actually said so in face-to-face meetings.

“This is a milestone,” Carmen said, calling the county discussion as a sign of a “hard commitment.”

“It’s about time they came out and said it,” said board member Tim Hagenah.

“It’s perfect timing as we are trying to make a plan,” said board member Jennifer Chmielewski. The district is in the throes of deciding its future plans for its high school that serves students in grades 6 through 12. Talks have included, for years, a consolidation with Wrenshall and, recently, joining up with Cloquet.

School board member Ann Gustafson said the county’s low-cost option for expanding its jail is buying the school property. She also said it’s the best option for Carlton in keeping county employees in the city.

“We need to know when they need to know,” said board chairwoman LaRae Lehto. “There’s definite interest but we don’t have a plan.”

Board members plan to hammer out how to engage with county board members in future talks. The county has indicated that it would like to break ground on a new facility in 2021.

“I don’t think they need an answer,” Hagenah said. “They understand the discussions we need to have.”

Both school board chairs and the superintendents of Carlton and Wrenshall planned to meet this week to discuss how to proceed with consolidation talks. Wrenshall superintendent Kim Belcastro said both boards will be meeting at a to-be-determined date, possibly July 8, and this week’s meeting was to finalize the date and set an agenda for the public meeting.

One of the sticking points for Wrenshall board members has been in keeping a school presence on its campus. If the county buys the Carlton school, that point could be rendered moot. The Carlton board has a middle school/high school in Wrenshall on its list of future options. But the same list also favors creating a consolidated preK-12 school at South Terrace, the site of the current elementary school, as well as consolidating with Cloquet.

The Carlton School Board meets next Monday at 7 p.m. in the high school library. It will include a public forum on the proposed student fee changes. The meeting is open to the public. The finance committee meets at 6 p.m.