BROOKINGS – The Brookings School Board unanimously passed the district’s 2020-2021 budget of $51.6 million on Monday, including general fund of more than $24 million. 

The budget does not incorporate the estimated $390,000 coming to the district from the federal government for COVID-19 related issues, nor does it take into account any state funding related to the pandemic.

The proposed budget includes a 2% state aid increase per state law. Also part of the budget is projected student growth of 22 students, which adds $131,000, and a $200,000 transfer in from the capital outlay fund.

An important note for the budget is that the agricultural, owner-occupied, and other/commercial property tax levies have all decreased by 2% this year. 

The Capital Outlay budget for this academic year is $5.45 million with 41% going toward the district’s debt, 26% for business and operations, 15% for K-12 classroom equipment and software, 11% for student support, library and technology, 2% for transportation, and 1% going toward school activities.

Special Education has a budget of $6.1 million, with a 5% use of fund balance.

COVID-19 expenses

District Business Manager Brian Lueders said there will be COVID-related expenses should an outbreak in the schools arise. Some of the budget applies to COVID-19 specific sick-leave.

He also said remote learning classes that some students and parents are opting for – through an online, accredited education platform called Edgenuity – costs $240 per class each year. As of right now, Lueders is estimating that will cost the district $250,000, based on the number of students choosing to learn remotely.

Lueders said the district is also hiring a cleaning service that will work in conjunction with the janitorial staff so that they clean more frequently. The district has already spent tens of thousands of dollars on personal protective equipment.

The board expressed concerns about overspending what the budget and fund balance allow. Superintendent Klint Willert said there will be government funding supplanting COVID-19-related expenses, and there is the potential for the district to spend fewer dollars if all students move to remote learning.

Online learning

Willert also clarified how the Bobcat Tracks Plan functions with remote learning and face-to-face learning. 

Teachers opting to work from home are being shifted among various grades and schools so they can offer their classes to as many students possible. 

Willert said students who chose to learn from home will remain with the Edgenuity program for the semester and possibly the year. Edgenuity will be used for high school and middle school students, he added. 

“Edgenuity is there for the families that are choosing to do their remote learning initially, and beyond that if we end up flipping to a remote learning, that’s when the students opted originally for remote learning will continue with Edgenuity. 

“The students that have found themselves in remote learning – because that’s what the (COVID-19) numbers dictate … – they would be working directly with their teachers much like they would in the classroom. Very similar to how we ended the school year last year,” Willert told the Register.

Willert said the district is looking into what it means to declare district staff and faculty as “essential workers.” That could have specific implications for staff and faculty, but it is unclear as to what they are. 

Willert told the Register that essential workers could be required to self-quarantine – should they be exposed to COVID-19 – for a shorter period of time than the 14-day period before they can come back to work.

The superintendent also said there will be random testing for COVID-19 of the staff and faculty regardless of whether or not those individuals have symptoms.

Transportation

Due to the significant lack of bus drivers in the district, Willert said the current transportation plan will include chartering buses from a private company to use for activities requiring students to travel out of town.

Willert said in-town transfers via school buses will cease due to a combination of not enough drivers and applying social distancing measures where the administration can.

“That’s not ideal. We know that for families and students, but it’s what we’re really facing with our shortcoming with drivers,” Willert told the Register. “So the regular routes that the school district has will continue to run, and those reach the peripherals of the community… It’s just those in-town transfers, because what we’ve had happen is that as students may arrive at one school and they would hop on a transfer bus to transfer to another school, those services won’t exist anymore.”

MMS update

Construction on Mickelson Middle School has been once again delayed. However, Willert said the current delay is minimal compared to some of the major setbacks from last year.

“We’re really pleased with the quality of the work,” Willert said. 

“We are still facing, unfortunately – and this is a direct result of COVID – a slight delay in schedule. And it’s not a substantial impact like it was last year … what we’re running into is that a lighting plant was shut down that was a supplier for the lights in the cafeteria.  … They’re getting caught back up to speed, but our lights for the cafeteria have not been delivered as of yet.”

Willert said the lights are the only thing left to finish in the middle school, but it shouldn’t impede students coming back to class on Aug. 31.

To watch the meeting, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHYB5Jj4zNQ.

Contact Matthew Rhodes at mrhodes@brookingsregister.com.