The Austin Public Schools district is facing a lean budget forecast for the 2013/2014 fiscal year.

“That’s not great, that’s not terrible,” Director of Finance and Operations Mark Stotts said of the outlook. “The capital fund always gets stretched really thin.”

The board approved its capital budget at a Monday evening meeting. Stotts told the board in a memo the district will have a total operating capital revenue of about $1.46 million. Unlike the current year, the upcoming year will not have to account for an $80,000 high school smart boards cost and will have approximately half the amount of building improvement costs. Instead, it will add $250,000 in the upcoming year for curriculum at the new I.J. Holton Intermediate School.

Separately, the board decided to approve its integration revenue budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which largely goes toward the Success Coach program. The exact amount the state grant the district is yet to be seen, said Integration Coordinator Kristi Beckman

“I am hoping with fingers crossed that we’ll be hearing good news out of this legislative session,” she said.

The money will also be geared toward addressing Sumner Elementary School’s status as a racially isolated site. The Minnesota Department of Education will send directions to the district on how to address a disproportionately large percentage of non-white student at Sumner.

 

For more on the school board meeting, look to Tuesday’s print edition of the Herald.