Eide Bailly Audit Manager Luke Evenson passed a "clean" or uncontested report of District 2155's finances for the Fiscal Year 2017 along to the Wadena-Deer Creek school board Monday evening.
Evenson's audit, revealed an ending balance in WDC's general fund of $3,027,615. The audit also revealed the district had an unassigned fund balance of $711,000, which Business Manager Brian Jacobson said could become a problem for the district if the trend continues. Eide Bailly recommends that all districts retain a three-month operating reserve. He computed WDC's recommended reserve to be $2.9 million.
In addition to approving the audit report the board approved a 2017-2019 collective bargaining agreement with the WDC faculty. The agreement, which had previously been approved by the teachers, calls for a 2.07 percent salary increase the first year and a 3.08 percent increase for the second year - an overall average increase of 2.58 percent.
Superintendent Lee Westrum laid out a new Memorial Auditorium agreement with the city of Wadena through Jan. 1, 2038. The city agreed at their Oct. 10 meeting to pay 29 percent of the district's debt service on the auditorium for the next 20 years. The auditorium, which is part of the WDC Elementary School, is in line for both interior and exterior improvements in 2018 as part of a general upgrade to the school building.
By state law, a portion of Monday's meeting at the Elementary Media Center had to include a review and comment period on their proposed school construction process, which is slated to begin next spring. The period passed without comment.
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Hired as a middle and high school special education instructor was Jon Roemmich. Also hired were middle school/high school paras Jennifer Shreves and Cory Kapphahn.
A purchase agreement of $110,000 for a home on Dayton Avenue was approved contingent on passing a bond issue in November.
The board approved a health insurance renewal for employees which will move them from a National Joint Powers Alliance (NJPA) Health Partners policy to a more reasonable Public Employees Insurance Program (PEIP) policy.
A meeting to canvass the results of the upcoming operating levy and building bond vote Nov. 7 was set for noon, Wednesday, Nov. 15.
