The Kimball Area School District is a member of the Central Minnesota Joint Powers District 6074. Other districts that are a part of the Joint Powers include Foley, Holdingford, ROCORI, St. Cloud, Sartell-St.Stephen and Sauk Rapids-Rice. The Joint Powers was formed so that Kimball, along with the other districts listed, could work together to cut down on special education costs which are difficult and costly for each of the separate districts to offer. At the present time, this Joint Powers District is working to try to secure a Teaching American History (T.A.H.) Grant. The TAH Grant is a three-year federal grant totaling up to $1,000,000. It involves approximately 100 teachers from the seven (7) districts that teach American and/or Minnesota history. The grant committee has met twice to establish goals, themes and a timeline for the grant. Partnering agencies for this Grant include the Minnesota Historical Society, St. John’s/St. Ben’s, St. Cloud State University, Stearns and Benton Historical Societies and the Minnesota Council of History Educators. The grant submission date is March 9, 2007. If the grant is secured, it will provide teaching materials, workshops and in-services for the teachers that teach American and/or Minnesota History for the seven (7) districts. In the Kimball district, that would involve five (5) teachers. The Foley School District would be the fiscal host for the grant dollars. All of the districts are hopeful that the grant submission is successful. On Jan. 12, 2007, the Kimball Area School District received a letter signed by Alice Seagren, the Minnesota Commissioner of Education, approving the Statutory Operating Debt (SOD) Plan which was submitted to the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) on Dec. 15, 2006. The Kimball School Board must now move forward to examine the financial condition of the District and to make reductions which fulfill the SOD Plan. For the 2007-2008 school year, the reductions for the Kimball District will need to total approximately $310,000. The Reduction Timeline will look like this: February, 2007 – Principals seek input from staff; Feb. 7, 2007 – Board Budget Committee examines 2006-2007 Revised Budget and 2007-2008 Preliminary Budget; Feb. 15, 2007 – Board Budget Committee share information with the board; March 2007 – administrative meetings to work on possible reductions and share with staff; March 12 or 19, 2007 – Board Budget Committee meets; March 22, 2007 – Board Budget Committee shares information with board; April 4, 11 or 12, 2007 – Board Budget Committee meets to formulate reductions; April 19 or 26, 2007 – Board Budget Committee shares information with board and make recommendations for board approval; May 17, 2007 – Board approves Staffing Resolutions. Whatever decisions the governor and legislature make for educational funding will be too late for the staffing decisions for 2007-2008. Also, because the Kimball district must get out of SOD AND eliminate the total negative fund balance, the additional dollars in funding will only help in the future to move forward with the SOD Plan. If you have questions about the SOD Plan or what the board needs to do by May 17, 2007, call the district office at (320) 398-5585 or e-mail me at john.tritabaugh@kimball.k12.mn.us.
