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School district reports surprise year‑end surplus, details generator failure and ongoing facilities work
Summary
The school district reported a larger‑than‑expected FY25 surplus after audit refinements, described a transmission line break and a failed generator exciter that forced a short closure, and outlined capital work including septic replacement and a new greenhouse.
The Millerborough School District told the assembly it now expects a larger year‑end surplus than previously reported, described a transmission‑line break and a failing backup generator that briefly closed schools, and outlined several facility projects that will affect operations next year.
The district’s written report and presentation said an initial FY25 year‑end surplus estimate of about $40,000 has been revised upward to a projected $250,000–$300,000 after staff reconciled one‑time transportation revenue and corrected double‑counted personnel expenses. The district said the figures remain subject to the external audit, which is underway, and staff said the audit may further refine the final numbers.
On facilities, district staff described a morning transmission‑line break under a school parking lot that cut power; the utility replaced the feed the same day and restored service, but the school’s backup generator failed to produce electricity because its exciter (the component that creates the generator’s magnetic field) had broken wiring. The district rented a replacement generator from Fairbanks and said the rental costs are approximately $5,000 per month while the district hopes a new generator delivery and wiring scheduled for January will allow them to retire the rental units.
District leaders said the outage required a day‑long closure because staff could not assure potable water, sewage or heat without a functioning backup generator. The district also reported the outage damaged a couple of heating pumps and caused errors in the server that runs the electronic door system; those are being repaired.
The district described a set of near‑term facilities projects: a large greenhouse (4‑H project) between Anderson school and the city building to come online next spring; a planned replacement of a septic/leach field that will render the softball field unavailable next summer; and other site repairs related to the prior season’s storm and utility issues.
On academics and finance, the district shared lagging 2024 state assessment data that account only for students enrolled the full academic year; the district said its Tri Valley school shows proficiency and growth well above state averages for the tested group, but staff cautioned sample sizes are small and the dataset is limited to students present the whole year.
The assembly thanked district staff for the update and asked the administration to continue reporting audit results and the generator replacement schedule as they develop.
