Saint Peter School Board Discusses Budget Continued From the Front Page

for those suffering from illnesses. She said she is good at writing and storytelling.

The first action item on the agenda was balancing the fiscal year budget. There was a study session two weeks prior, where preliminary discussions took place. The budget is ongoing, of course. The two phases within the school board’s business office include the audit and the actual budget, according to the superintendent, Bill Gronseth. During the presentation, it was stated that last year’s expenses exceeded revenues at the district by about $1.5 million. The revised budget will likely include a similar deficit, according to officials that conducted the audit at a workshop session. The district plans to use the rest of its funding from the pandemic this year. After COVID funds run out, there will be a few million dollars of a hole in the budget and projections are being estimated based on Governor Tim Walz’s proposed budget for education. Gronseth mentioned the importance of the preliminary budget as the state legislature hashes out funding for schools.

“It is March now and we are identifying our deficit, our projected deficit amount and we are not going to know exactly what that amount is until May and that’s too late to make some of these decisions, so we need to plan as if that $1.3 to $1.5 million is what we are truly going to need to reduce,” Gronseth said. “Right now that’s all it is, is a list of possibilities.” info@nicolletcountyledger.com edly retreived his belongings from the home a couple days prior and he was observed driving up and down that street near the residence a week before.

Reductions are to be proposed within the next month. Other districts are facing the same cuts.

The board also discussed annual policy reviews. Gronseth said there no major or significant changes at the policy committee. These are required by Minnesota School Board Association. The policies and revisions were approved.

According to her statement to police, Flowers showed up at the home intoxicated around midnight the same night of the fire. The woman asked multiple times that he leave the property and he eventually did. He was reportedly seeking affection from her. The family reportedly heard noise outside the home a short time later and saw light coming from the kitchen. The cat was also reportedly acting out, likely from fear. They observed the porch on fire, according to the report.

Flowers called the woman multiple times just prior to the fire and at least six times afterwards, according to the report. Flowers told police on April 15 and said after he left the hosue, he went home to Mankato and was there the entire night. Police used local business surveillance footage to determine inconsistencies in his story, and that showed the path of his travel near the home that night.