School district plans to dig into reserves

A majority of the $2.8 million in cuts the Brainerd School District will make for the 2004-05 school year will be taken out of the district's reserves.

The Brainerd School Board approved $2,834,000 in cuts to the budget Monday, which includes $2 million to be used to spend down in its reserves.

The district plans to cut seven teaching positions to save $400,000.

Steve Dickinson, school district business manager, said if the state does not increase the general education revenue formula for the 2005-06 school year and beyond the budget reductions will be much more heavily weighted toward staff reductions because the district's reserves will be considerably depleted.

In other school business, the school board:

Agreed to enter into a performance contract with Johnson Controls of Duluth for $1 million to do indoor air quality projects at Baxter and Riverside elementary schools and to do a portion of the remodeling projects at the Brainerd High School and Mississippi Horizons.

Dickinson said the projects are part of the state's health and safety code requirements.

Approved a resignation from Janet Kurtz, a secondary teacher, who is currently on leave, to be effective at the end of the school year.

Authorized the use of school facilities on May 27 for Grad Blast.

Set a tentative date of April 12 for school board members to tour Forestview Middle School.

Set tentative meeting dates for the district's Long Range Planning Committee of April 19 to hear from Bob Meeks of the Minnesota School Board Association on partnerships with area school districts; May 21 to hear a technology presentation; and June 10 to hear a curriculum presentation.