Albert Lea school board approves revised FY2025 budget, projects 11% year-end fund balance

Albert Lea Public School District board members on Monday approved a revised fiscal year 2025 budget that projects $59,873,842 in general fund revenue and $60,869,523 in general fund expenditures, leaving a projected year-end fund balance of roughly $7.4 million, or about 11 percent of expenditures.

District finance staff presented highlights of a revised budget first discussed March 3 and asked the board to vote on the updated numbers. "This evening's discussion is regarding fiscal year 2025's budget," finance staff member Paul Durban said, summarizing changes since the district's adopted budget. Durban said most of the revenue increase — $1,711,576 — comes from a revised average daily membership projection that added about 141 students for the year, and that the district also saw an increase in federal grant funds this year.

Durban told the board that projected expenditures in the general fund rose by $2,372,337, driven in part by purchases using federal Elementary and Secondary School…