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Superintendent warns of state funding shifts, transportation contracting and insurance spikes
Summary
The superintendent told the board that recent legislative changes to compensatory aid will reduce state funding to the district, that the transportation committee is exploring contracting routes to an outside provider, and that employee insurance premiums rose sharply (initial 53% projection reduced to 39% via co-op). He proposed forming a health insurance committee for the fall.
The district superintendent told the Fosston Public School District board that legislative changes to compensatory aid will reduce state funding for the district and that staff will have updated dollar figures once the state releases the rollout. "We are going to lose some state funding with compensatory the way it's calculated now," the superintendent said, while noting a hold-harmless provision that softened the loss compared with earlier expectations.
The superintendent flagged staffing challenges in two hard-to-fill areas — construction trades and special education — and said the district may request state variances to hire candidates who will seek special-education certification while employed.
On transportation, the superintendent said the district’s transportation committee met and is exploring contracting the district’s transportation to an outside provider. The district has issued a request for quotations and will run the notice for two weeks before negotiating with interested providers.
District staff also described large insurance-premium increases. The district’s initial premium projection was about 53%; a cooperative arrangement reduced that projection to about 39%, and a market review by a broker retained the 39% figure as the best option found. The superintendent said the district will consider establishing a health insurance committee in the fall with representation from the board, administration, teachers and parents to review long-term options.
Administrators also reported that the district awarded about $45,000 in scholarships to seniors and that summer school will run June 8–25, 08:30–12:30. Board members and administrators discussed next steps on each item, and no formal board direction or vote to contract transportation or change insurance carriers was recorded in the transcript.
