Board selects new auditor, adopts final 2024‑25 budget and approves personnel resolution

The board considered several formal actions in the meeting’s action items.

Audit firm selection: District staff reported a formal RFP for audit services (first since 2012) and recommended contracting with ABDO based on combined fee proposals and experience auditing many Minnesota districts. A board member moved to award the audits for the district and its fiscal‑host RAID organization to ABDO with two requested addenda: (1) a future review of RAID fees after FY2025 because RAID’s scope will shrink; and (2) a request that the auditor provide comparative benchmarking data on comparable districts (pupil counts, per‑pupil spending, graduation rates and special education metrics). The motion was seconded and carried by a voice vote.

Budget adoption: The board heard the final 2024‑25 budget presentation from the business manager. Updated assumptions included finalized contract settlements and enrollment projections; a key change was a statewide proration of special education aid to 95.75%, reducing expected special education aid by about $945,000 and converting a previously projected fund balance increase into an estimated $250,000 decrease. The district projects a year‑end general fund balance near $4.955 million (8.1% of expenditures), shy of the board policy target of 11–16%. A motion to approve the final 2024‑25 budget carried by voice vote.

Personnel resolution: The board considered and approved a resolution to place a continuing contract (tenured) teacher on unrequested leave of absence as part of staffing adjustments connected to budget constraints. The motion passed by voice vote.

AECOMP (Q‑Comp) acceptance: The board also accepted the district’s AECOMP (teacher evaluation and professional development) report, which included required rubric updates and no major structural changes; the motion carried.

All motions listed above were approved by voice vote (roll‑call tallies were not recorded in the transcript).