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Ralston board approves student fees; finance update notes $1.7M bond payment and lunch-program deficit
Summary
Board approved the district student fee schedule and received a finance report showing receipts at about 87% and disbursements at 76% year-to-date; the district made a $1.7 million bond payment this month and the lunch program remains in a negative position, prompting a small proposed lunch-price increase.
The Ralston Public Schools Board approved the district’s student fee schedule after review and discussion of financial reports showing the district’s fiscal position. The chair read the consent agenda and bills totaling $800,116.17 for the general fund and $1,268,376.35 for the special building fund before the board approved the consent agenda and later voted to adopt the student fees as listed.
Aaron, the district finance representative, presented the monthly financial snapshot: receipts for the period sit at about 87% of projections and disbursements at about 76% year-to-date. Aaron told the board the district’s end-of-month book balance is about $2,000,000 higher than comparable prior years despite higher monthly disbursements this month. He also reported that the district made a bond payment of about $1,700,000 this month; the payment will appear on the July statement due to reporting lag.
The lunch program remains a concern. Aaron said the lunch program operated at a negative balance again this period and staff will continue monitoring; the board discussed means of reducing unpaid debt and ensuring families can apply for reduced-price meals year-round. The administration noted a small proposed increase of five cents for lunch prices to step toward stabilizing the program while relying on the district’s Sodexo partnership guarantee.
The finance presentation also included building-fund and depreciation-fund notes. Aaron indicated he would recommend a transfer to the depreciation fund (historically about $500,000) to support technology purchases and long-term replacements.
The board conducted roll-call votes on the consent agenda and the student-fee item; both passed.
Next steps: administration will continue to monitor the lunch program, pursue collection and outreach to ensure families apply for reduced-price benefits, and present more detailed budget information as the district finalizes evaluations and state valuation numbers before the official budget hearing.
