Board looks to overcrowding solutions post-referendum

Prior Lake American

Now that the referendum has passed, the Prior Lake-Savage Area School Board is looking to solve the overcrowding issue that spawned the ballot measure in the first place.

School board members discussed the topic during a study session on Monday.

The referendum will allow for the construction of an additional elementary school to potentially open in 2020. The elementary would be near the Big Sky Development in Savage, according to a news release.

However, until then, steps will be taken to address overcrowding in the elementary schools. 

For instance:

• Building four additional classrooms split between Jeffers Pond and Redtail Ridge elementary schools.

• Boundary line changes or using existing sites as different areas.

• If boundary lines were redrawn, an attempt would be done to minimize moves for parents who would be in the new elementary's area.

• Existing sites would also utilized, such as transforming a computer lab into a teaching area.

• Leasing space for pre-kindergarten programs in the community.

• Limiting open enrollment, which the board will vote on for the 2018-19 school year at the Dec. 11 meeting.

• Using space in Westwood Elementary for fourth and fifth grade Spanish immersion sections as well as maintaining La ola del lago Spanish immersion.

• The board will receive specific building construction timelines at the Dec. 11 meeting and will also continue the discussion on these solutions at the same meeting. Boundary changes would be discussed at meetings in January or February.

On top of the elementary school, the district is also planning construction for the additions to Prior Lake High School and the middle schools as well as the construction of the Bridges Area Learning Center.

Updated budget

The board also went over an updated budget, with additional revenues and expenditures.

The additional revenue of more than $2 million stems from more students, leading to extra enrollment, fees and admission costs.

The additional expenditures stem from staffing, federal funding, billing, substitute teacher costs and more to total nearly $3 million. The difference of approximately 850,000 will come from the fund balance.

"We're still a little bit above our fund balance policy right now," Business Services Executive Director Julie Cink said.

Restricted general funds are also coming up short. The revenues are $8.7 million while expenditures are nearly $9.5 million with an approximate deficit of $767,000.

The budget will be decided on in December.