Yankton School District board approves supplemental budget, allocates $51,000 for food-delivery vehicle

At a special meeting, the Yankton School District 63-3 Board of Education approved a supplemental budget to cover unanticipated bus repairs, special education service costs and a $51,000 capital outlay for a vehicle used to deliver school meals.

Board members approved the supplemental budget after a staff presentation explaining why spending shifted between funds and why the district moved up the vehicle purchase rather than continuing to rent a food truck.

Sherry, a district staff member who presented the supplement, said the biggest drivers of the change were charter-bus repairs and higher special-education service costs. "Bus repairs, we had a lot of bus repairs, on the charters. There was a lot of ticket items there for bus repairs," Sherry said. She told the board that the district's propane buses used for in-town routes have been "doing well" and that the large repair bills came from older charter buses used for out-of-town routes.

Sherry told the board the district moved a planned vehicle purchase forward because rental costs for a food truck were "outrageous." She said the capital outlay line shows $51,000 for the vehicle and that $45,000 of that will be paid from the food service fund because the vehicle will be used to deliver school meals. "This is our the fund of the capital outlay fund from 51,000. 45 of it was covered under the food service," she said.

On special education, Sherry said costs are difficult to predict and can change midyear if a student requires residential or other high-cost services. "You can get a kid with some things that need different services, and it can happen within the middle of the year," she said. The presentation noted the supplemental adjusts current-year estimates and will be incorporated into the district's budget review at the July budget hearing and again in September.

Other items explained during the presentation included a reclassification of an existing van into the capital outlay category (the van remains in service) and a notation that the TLC building costs are accounted for in the bond-funded fund. Sherry said the district is watching charter-bus replacement needs as part of its five-year capital plan and has considered outsourcing some routes but found outside bussing costs "outrageous."

After the presentation, a board member moved to approve "the budget settlements as presented." The motion was seconded, and the board approved it by roll call: Mueller — yes; Greenway — yes; Sandoval — yes; Schill — yes; Sargent — yes. The board chair declared the motion adopted.

The board was told it may need to seek state funds in future years if service costs increase beyond district resources; staff said that possibility has been anticipated in the district's planning. The presentation and vote concluded the special meeting; the item will be reflected in the district's supplemental budget documents and in the forthcoming public budget hearing materials.