Red Wing schools report stronger preliminary audit, approve reconciliation coordinator position
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Summary
Preliminary numbers show general fund revenues 4% above budget and expenditures about 6% under, raising the unassigned fund balance to just over 22% on a roughly $40 million budget; the board approved a reconciliation/benefits coordinator position pulled from the consent agenda.
The Red Wing Public School District’s finance director told the board the district’s preliminary audit shows a better‑than‑expected year for the general fund, and the board approved a new reconciliation/benefits coordinator position after discussion.
Director of Finance (on the record) said the revenue budget came in about 4% higher than budgeted, driven primarily by state special‑education aid, and that expenditures ran about 6% under. The combination produced roughly a 10% favorable movement versus the revised budget and increased the unassigned fund balance to just over 22% (up from about 15%) on an approximately $40 million budget — roughly a $4 million positive swing, the director said (Director of Finance, SEG 742–771).
The district reported current enrollment of 2,243 students, down eight from 2,251 at the end of last year, a factor administrators said will affect staffing and budget projections going forward (Unidentified administrator, SEG 796–801).
Personnel action: board pulled consent agenda item #3 for separate discussion and approved it after more information was provided. District administration explained the reconciliation/benefits coordinator position will be a district‑level role split between HR and the business office to handle tasks such as insurance carrier reconciliations, regular bank reconciliations, and work related to Paid Family Medical Leave implementation. The position was described as intended to reduce manual workload and help the business office and HR stay current with reconciliations (Administration, SEG 480–491; SEG 542–548).
Board action: a motion to approve the pulled consent agenda item was made, seconded and carried after a series of recorded "Aye" votes (motion and roll‑call style affirmation recorded, SEG 650–670). The board also accepted donations and grants that were presented later in the meeting (SEG 695–715).
What happens next: administration said the audit will be finalized in about a month; board members asked to review fund‑balance policy and consider a workshop to set a target reserve percentage. The superintendent and finance director said they will continue to refine projections and return to the board with more detail (SEG 831–835; SEG 991–999).
No salary or specific dollar amount for the new reconciliation/benefits coordinator position was given on the record during the discussion; the motion approved the position in principle as part of the consent agenda item.
