Student numbers on the rise in Esko

With 1,284 students this year, Esko schools may be at its highest K-12 enrollment ever, superintendent Aaron Fischer told school board members Monday.

"That's a lot of students, more than we projected," Fischer said. "And they all fit into our current class size targets and programming and elective schedules, so we had no more expenditures to bring those in."

That's 25 more students than last school year; each one brings more dollars for the school district from the state, which funds schools per pupil unit.

"Keep in mind, the building was built - according to Mr. [James] Schwartz, former superintendent - for 1,300 students, and that's using every nook, cranny and crawl space," Fischer said. "We're pretty much there, especially when you consider we have more pullout [of classrooms] programs now."

The increased number of students came from open enrollment - which the principals managed to ensure class sizes didn't go too high - and new students moving into the district.

"We've been fortunate. It seems like when a house goes for sale, a family with a few kids buys it," Fischer said. "We're a small town, so you get to feel like, oh my gosh, three houses sold and they were all bought by young families and that brings kids in."

Partially as a result of the larger-than-projected enrollment, board members unanimously approved a $19.6 million budget for the 2024 fiscal year. Next year's budget includes a 4-

percent increase in pay for teaching staff and other staff

still negotiating contracts.

Board members also got positive audit results for the past fiscal year (which ended in June) Monday.

Board members unanimously approved an audit that showed Esko with $436,800 left in the general fund, about $173,000 more than budgeted.

Fischer said that was due to late delivery of two school buses - one arrived last week - and special education transportation dollars that were rerouted from a different fund.

Had those costs been deducted before the audit, Fischer said the district would have been within 1 percent of the budgeted actual. He aims to be as close as possible to projections, he said, noting that he tries to do a "zero" budget and spend everything they can on programs and staff. He also praised business manager Teresa Hart and her team.

With the hire of a housekeeper, Fischer also noted that the school is fully staffed in the custodial department for the first time this year.

They're still "in serious need of more bus drivers," he said, adding that they went from 10 routes to nine, because they have only eight regular drivers and one substitute right now.

Fitness center update

ICS consultant Natalie Hoff said the end is in sight for the new fitness center, which now has a roof and walls, sidewalks and external weather barrier completed. Steel siding and exterior insulation as well as interior drywall installation is underway. Electrical, plumbing and HVAC are a work in progress, Hoff said.

Although contractors had to make some changes to the project design before it started because of state requirements, and ran into some unexpected old pipes under the building, Hoff said they are "still tracking" in terms of both the $2.6 million budget and the timeline.

Construction could be finished in December or January. There are still decisions to be made about equipment and fitness center partners, however.

Fischer said he is hopeful the school will soon regain some of the parking spaces that were taken over by construction materials and equipment.