On January 22, Dan Armagost and John Mark Dundas, of the Southern Minnesota Education Consortium (SMEC), presented the Kingsland School Board with the fiscal year 2024 audit.
SMEC is a multi-purpose cooperative of school districts that work together to provide support for special education students.
Currently, there are seven member districts within SMEC including Alden-Conger, Glenville-Emmons, Grand Meadow, LeRoy-Ostrander, Lyle, Southland and Kingland.
“We are the smaller schools working together,” Dundas said.
When speaking of their finances, Dundas explained their expenses and revenues are pretty much equal as of 2024, though they are seeing a continued increase in staff needed for their students.
“Our staffing is significantly up in 2024 we averaged 127 employees and in 2023 we were at 92. Now we are up to 131 already. Some of it is that student needs are so much higher,” Dundas said.
SMEC is continuing their construction project that has added an additional 3,000 square feet to their facility. The group is currently working towards adding a storm shelter to the facility.
“We are saving two restricted fund balances so we can hopefully pay for it on our own without having to go in to debt,” Dundas explained.
As of 2024, SMEC debt is at $3.2 million, but according to Dundas they will be making a large principal payment in 2026.
“That is going to significantly reduce it and will change the whole debt schedule as far as when the final payment is going to be due,” Dundas said.
As well as expanding their facility, SMEC has been expanding their transportation with the purchase of four minivans, which gives them 29 vehicles to use for their transportation needs.
According Dundas, “We have a lot of staff vehicles because there is s lot of driving between member districts so we are really trying to cut down how much mileage we pay. It is a lot cheaper for us to own our own fleet vehicles and have our staff use a SMEC vehicle rather than their own vehicle and paying them mileage.”
It was noted SMEC is now in a trial partnering with Limb Lab, which is based in Rochester, to create jobs for their students as they progress from student to workforce. The students will be helping to make insoles for shoes.
“During the summer we are going to stay open and the paras that are working with the students are now are going to become job coaches and our students that want to can come in and run this during the summer. The Limb Lab will then pay them for their work and that is the goal that we wanted there. Now they can run this business and, hopefully, after they graduate those that like it can slide over to the Limb Lab and be able to get a job there to continue their career,” Armagost explained.
Quick Claim Deed
During their January 6 work session, the school board learned of an interesting situation that came up after a recent land purchase in Bloomfield Township.
“I was contacted by Chatfield attorney Lee Novotny who was the attorney hired to draw up the paperwork on this land sale that took place. It turns out they bought a portion of farmland and when they were going through the paperwork and drawing up the deed a flag came up. There was a small portion of land that they called 10 rods, which is about half a football field.”
The document from 1868 showed there was a schoolhouse in the middle of this parcel of land, which was leased from the farmer who owned the land at that time. Over time the schoolhouse became part of the Spring Valley School District and then the Kingsland School District.
Because the lease was never formally dissolved the district would technically still have the right to lease the land.
Novotny has asked the board to consider completing a quick claim deed to resolve the situation.
Klavetter noted the district attorney has looked over the quick claim which will release the lease on the land and they have no issues with the paperwork presented.
The board approved a resolution to approve the quick claim deed.
Other Business
- The board thanked Sherry Paynic for her $300 donation to the art department for their kiln.
- Superintendent Scott Klavetter noted the food service was selected for an on-site audit from the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), which is scheduled for January 28.
- Klavetter updated the board on the district’s transportation situation. Last year the board approved $50,000 to put towards a new seven passenger van. Sarah Clough, Kingsland’s Transportation Director, has since been able to purchase one used van at half the cost. Klavetter stated Clough is planning on looking into one more van, which would be purchased using the remaining funds.
- The budget update showed by December 31, 2024 the district had received 38% of their revenues. “Not a huge concern there,” Klavetter said. “A lot of that is due to timings on when things are sent to us. The expenditures is the one that kind of shows us where we’re at and as you can see we are actually, compared to most times, running behind schedule on what percent of our budget we’ve spent. So we are staying on course and lived within what we have budgeted.”
- Klavetter made board members aware Governor Waltz is proposing to reduce the covered cost of Special Education transportation to 95% for the 2025-2026 school year and 90% for the 2026-2027 school year. “That means the remaining five percent and 10% would have to come out of the general fund.” This would include all the transportation used to take special education students to SMEC shared programs held in other schools.
- The board approved a resolution directing the superintendent to make recommendation for adjustments in curriculum, programs and staff for the 2025-2026 school year. This is an annual resolution as the district begins work on next school year’s budget.
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