The Albert Lea School Board approved a budget for the 2009-10 school year Monday that leaves the district with $131,948 in remaining funds.

The total anticipated revenue in the budget is $40,098,958 and the total anticipated expenditures is $39,967,010.

Larry Kellogg, district director of finances, said the budget is based on a lot of assumptions, because some things haven’t been determined yet, but Kellogg said the district will be close to breaking even.

“Yeah, it’s a little unusual to come that close to breaking even, but that’s the way it worked out,” Kellogg said.

Kellogg said the expected districtwide salary freeze is the main reason the district was able to break even.

While the budget is based on certain assumptions, a budget needs to be approved before the budget year begins July 1. The biggest assumption is the teachers’ contract, but Kellogg said the contract is not typically completed by the time the budget is approved.

The district received $2,734,759 in federal stimulus revenue, but Kellogg said the state subtracted about the same amount in state funding.

Kellogg said the district received less overall funding, but there will be fewer children enrolled in the Albert Lea schools next year.

Lower fuel prices are another reason the budget was balanced, because Kellogg said the projected cost of fuel are lower than they were last year.

The board met in a closed door session after the meeting to discuss the teachers’ contract and the 403(b) tax-sheltered annuities.

In other issues discussed at the school board meeting, preliminary results for the GRAD state testing showed  90 percent of Albert Lea ninth-graders passed the ninth grade writing test. Preliminary results showed that about 80 percent of 10th-graders passed the reading test at level three proficiency. Both results are comparable to the test results from last year.

Halverson Elementary School received $12,620 and Brookside Education Center received $7,512 from the National School Lunch Equipment Stimulus to purchase new dishwashers.

Southwest food service director Mary Nelson said the stimulus money should include installation and any plumbing needs. Both dishwashers need to be operational by the first day of school to receive money.

Kellogg will retire as district director of finances June 30. But, he has agreed stay on and help the new superintendent. Kellogg said the position will be posted later this week.

School board chairman Bill Leland presented Superintendent David Prescott with a graduation cap and diploma to commemorate his final school board meeting as superintendent.

Prescott estimated this would be his last of about 308 meetings as superintendent.

“Is this a graduation or a roast,” Prescott asked as school board chair Bill Leland pulled the graduation hat and diploma from a box under the board table.

Each member of the board shook Prescott’s hand in a remake of the high school graduation line.  

“I see that I signed it too,” Prescott joked as he received his diploma.

“Finally made it,” he added.