Second round of 2023-24 budget review on deck for Mitchell Board of Education

MITCHELL — The Mitchell Board of Education Monday will hold a second round of review for the 2023-24 school year budget.

The meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. in Room 110 at the Mitchell Career & Technical Education Academy.

The board got a general overview of the budget at its earlier May meeting, and discussion on Monday is expected to center around more detailed discussion of various funds.

The proposed budget shows a general fund of $23,373,071, a slight increase over the $21,622,771 from the 2022-23 school year budget. In the capital outlay fund, the district is proposing a budget of $4,966,942, which is also up from the $4,849,467 originally budgeted for the previous school year.

In the special education fund, the district is proposing a budget number of $6,162,180, an increase over the $5,282,364 from the previous year. The food service budget would see an increase to $2,294,998 from the $2,260,805 budgeted for the 2022-23 school year.

Those numbers total $36,797,191 for the proposed 2023-24 district budget, compared to $34,015,407 in 2022-23.

On the Mitchell Technical College side, the two-year technical college estimated a total budget of $36,298,323 and a main fund of $27,908,323. Those are both increases from $28,172,777 and $20,282,777, respectively.

The annual budget is generally approved and adopted at the board’s second June meeting.

The board is expected to consider the following personnel moves at the meeting:

• The new certified hires of Jeff Sand, ELA teacher at Mitchell High School, $57,243 and Jeremy Hurd, assistant principal at Mitchell Middle School, $75,000. Both hires are effective for the 2023-24 school year.
• The classified hires of Katie Cornell, paraeducator at Gertie Belle Rogers Elementary, $17, effective Aug. 9; Elisha Tiede, accounts receivable, $21.50 per hour, 8 hours daily, effective May 30 and Donna Long, general food service worker at Mitchell Middle School, $16 per hour, 4.5 hours daily, effective May 30.
• The transfer of Lee Gair, custodial at L.B. Williams Elementary to custodial/maintenance, effective May 22.
• The resignations of Halley Robbins, paraeducator at L.B. Williams Elementary, effective May 26; Grisly Esciba, food service, effective May 12 and Christina Siemsen, track coach, effective end of the 2022-23 school year pending suitable replacement.
• The new Mitchell Technical College hires of Bethany Florey, admissions representative, $4,896, effective May 30; Erica Ingerson, student welding and manufacturing technologies intern, $15 per hour, effective May 8; Keah Munsen, farm ranch management instructor, $10,640, effective May 22 and Isabelle Riggs, admissions representative, $5,916, effective May 22.

Also at the meeting, the board is expected to:

• Consider approval of South Dakota High School Activities Association amendments.
• Consider approval of South Dakota High School Activities Association board of directors.
• Consider approval of the comprehensive special plan for the Mitchell School District for the 2023-24 school year.
• Declare surplus property.
• Enter into executive session for the purpose of “discussing the qualifications, competence, performance, character or fitness of any public officer or employee or prospective public officer of employee.”
• Consider approval of K-12 salaries for the 2023-24 school year for administrators and personnel not included in the MCEA and MEA agreements.
• Hear board member reports.
• Hear public commentary.
• Hear the superintendent report.

The meeting is open to the public. The meeting will be livestreamed by the Mitchell Republic at its website.