By Ruth Anne Maddox

Staff Writer

Preliminary numbers for the 2008-09 Shakopee School District budget show an approximately 3.5 percent increase in expenditures in the general, food service and community education funds.

Business Manager Mike Burlager presented budget assumptions totaling $73.8 in expenditures over $72.6 million in revenue. The preliminary plan would purposely spend down the district’s fund balance by $1.2 million.

Burlager noted that the total did not include the building fund, which could throw a small wrench into the plans.

“I wasn’t planning on doing a pool,” Burlager quipped about an earlier decision in Monday’s School Board meeting to seek bids to have the brick replaced on the exterior of the pool at the middle school.

Thus far, the general fund revenue of $52.9 million reflects the increase in per pupil state funding to $5,175 based on 6,500 students, maintains class size through the addition of 17 teachers and an increase in the cost of fuel and electricity to reflect new building usage.

Burlager told the School Board that he had estimated too low in this area for the current year, partly because there was no building history and calculating the utility costs for the new facilities proved difficult.

Also, the budget totals for next year reflect an increase to compensate for underbudgeting in revenues and expenditures by about 2 percent each year for the past few years, he said. Thus, some of the actual numbers may be greater on paper in a side-by-side comparison but the overall numbers come in at 3.5 percent greater.

The food service revenues were estimated at the current meal prices, but the district may consider an increase in the cost of breakfast and/or lunch (the last meal increase was five years ago).

Food service expenditures are tentatively set at $2.3 million while revenue is estimated at $2.25 million. An increase of 10 cents per breakfast and 15 cents per lunch could generate as much as $90,000, Burlager said. Currently, breakfast is sold for $1 at the elementary schools, $1.10 and the junior high, middle school and high school and $1.50 for adults. Lunches are $1.70 for elementary students, $1.85 for secondary students and $2.85 for adults.

The debt service fund includes a bond payment schedule for the new elementary school to be opened in 2010.

The final budget will be approved in June.

Ruth Anne Maddox can be reached at (9520 345-6678 or rmaddox@swpub.com.