Columbia Heights presents $1.19 million Achievement and Integration budget; board to vote Feb. 25

Assistant Superintendent Niamboi presented the Columbia Heights Public Schools’ proposed fiscal year 2026 Achievement and Integration budget to the school board at its Feb. 11 meeting, saying the district will submit a total budget of $1,189,908.87 to the Minnesota Department of Education.

The plan matters because state statute and Department of Education rules require most of the funding be directed to students: at least 80% must go to direct student services, up to 20% may support professional development, and administrative costs may not exceed 10% of the award, Niamboi said. “This is an informational session and I plan to come back on February 25 to get approval of the budget,” Niamboi told the board.

Niamboi described how the district uses Achievement and Integration funds. Examples cited included AVID (Advanced Via Individual Determination) programming K–12 that pays fees, staff, materials, PD and college visits; the Modern Classroom Project at the high school and Columbia Academy; family-engagement work including a homeschool liaison and community resource fairs; and summer seminar courses run in partnership with Saint Anthony–New Brighton. Niamboi said the incentive revenue portion of the package is $38,504; the total budget submission is $1,189,908.87 (which includes the incentive revenue component).

Board members questioned details about participants, funding sources and timelines. Michelle (board member) asked who attends the summer seminar; Niamboi said it is for incoming freshmen (rising ninth-graders) and runs for about three weeks to strengthen writing or math skills. Niamboi told the board last summer 30 students participated in summer seminar courses taught by one teacher from Columbia Heights and one from Saint Anthony–New Brighton and that students took related field trips.

Board members also sought clarity on funding origin. “It’s state not federal,” Michelle said during the discussion; Niamboi confirmed the program and payments are managed through the Minnesota Department of Education. Niamboi explained the program has two components — an aid allocation and an incentive revenue component — and described the incentive revenue as an amount the state provides “to incentivize school districts to deliver the programs as expected.”

Niamboi reviewed the calendar for paperwork and reporting. The FY2026 budget is due to the Minnesota Department of Education on March 15; the district’s finance office provides a preliminary expenditures report on Dec. 1 for the prior year, and the district files a more detailed annual report on the fifteenth (as previously described to the board).

Board members asked about budget detail. Niamboi said the board had been shown a summary at this meeting and that a full line-item budget — showing allocations for student services, professional development and administrative costs and the specific programs paid through the funds — will be submitted to the Department and available for review prior to the Feb. 25 approval request.

The board did not take action on the budget at the Feb. 11 meeting; Niamboi said an approval vote is scheduled for the board’s Feb. 25 meeting.