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2008-09 Board of Directors

Donna Luhring
President
320-234-2615

Earl Athman
President Elect
320-468-6458 ext. 1204

Colleen Mertesdorf
Vice President
507-333-6059

Kim Josephson
Director
218-879-6721

Jeff Solomon
Director
651-423-7713

Margo Nash
Director
952-226-0041

 

Jim Westrum
Past President
763-745-5023

Sue Crockett
Executive Director
612-872-4375

COLOPHON – MASBO Newsletter
Published monthly by the Minnesota Association of School Business Officials – MASBO.

Mission Statement – MASBO is committed to advancing the knowledge and abilities of School Business Professionals and providing a voice and forum for the Profession.

Publication Policy – The ideas and opinions expressed are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the beliefs or policies of MASBO or its members. The editorial policy for Associate Members has been to avoid anything that is self promotional. Articles should be generic, avoiding the tone of promotion or advertisement. Articles should address and create an awareness of new information or issues relevant to members’ job responsibilities. The length of the article can be anywhere from a paragraph to a page in length. The author's name/company name will be credited to the article that serves as promotion. Articles may be reprinted in the publications of ASBO affiliates if credit is given to MASBO.

MASBO Newsletter articles, information items, job openings, retirements, career recognitions, promotions, etc. may be submitted by the first of each month to:
Donna Walseth
dmwalseth@msn.com
Phone: 763-785-4122
FAX: 763-785-4168

 

For general information on MASBO contact:

Sue Crockett, Executive Director MASBO
1805 3rd Ave. S., #302
Minneapolis, MN 55404

Phone: 612-872-4375
Fax: 612-872-4377
E-mail: scrockett@mnasbo.org
Website: www.mnasbo.org

For complete conference information, Click here.

By Donna Luhring

I hope everyone got off to a great start for the new school year.  Hopefully everyone’s enrollment was up, the buses were on time, and the new supplies and equipment arrived.

This year my school district is focusing on one of our core values, “Relationships are essential for student success”.  Every employee has been asked to make a pledge of their choosing that will improve a student relationship.  The pledge cards are being collected by each building administrator so that evaluation will continue throughout the school year.  Good relationships don’t just happen, they require effort. 

As we begin a new year with MASBO, take the time to develop a new relationship or strengthen an old one.  Join a MASBO committee.  Meet other MASBO members.   Remember, there are MASBO members doing the same job that you are doing, following the same rules and regulations and experiencing the same issues.  Take the time to build your relationships in your organization.

MASBO has and will be offering several opportunities to develop relationships with other members.  The Tax Levy Workshops were held on September 10th and 11th.  Our Fall MASBO Conference is set for October 23rd and 24th.  The meeting and conference were moved to October this year to accommodate the ASBO International Conference that is being held on November 7th through the 10th this year in Denver, Colorado.  All of these meeting/conference offerings are great opportunities to meet and create relationships with your peers.

Please take the opportunity to attend as many of these offerings as possible.  They count toward the MASBO Certification Program; they provide information and allow time for networking with your peers. Remember, relationships are essential.

Donna Luhring
President

By Sue Crockett

By the time you read this message, you will be back in the trenches for another year and the first Certification Program class will have occurred.   The response to the program has been excellent and we anticipate many more joining the program!  The first class, The Levy Process II, was held in St. Cloud following the Tax Levy workshop and was filled to capacity.  The class featured different levy components, tax terminology (ex: tax capacity), and budgeting. 

The next class will be held on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 prior to the Fall Conference.  There will be two sections to the class:  

General Education Funding II – 3 hours

• Topics include what-if model, general ed allocations various state aids & entitlements, and how they related to different systems (UFARS, MARSS, EDRS).

Budgeting Part 1 – 3 hours

• Topics include budget timelines, philosophy (centralized vs. decentralized), procedures, and presentations.

PLEASE NOTE:  members who have applied to go through the Certification Program receive first priority to attend the classes.   If space allows, members who have been grandfathered into the program, members not registered in the program, or non-members will be eligible to attend a class.

If you would like more information on applying for the program or for the grandfather provision, please visit http://www.mnasbo.org/index.php?section=calendar&t=certification_program

 

New members in September

Active Members
Carol   Russell Business Manager TEAM Academy Julie Schneider Payroll Ortonville Public School Mark Bezek Superintendant Elk River Area School District Ben Silberglitt Director, Software Applications TIES	Brian Cook District Accountant Jackson County Central Maia Sierra Accountant St. Paul Public Schools Susan Clabaugh Payroll Manager Truman Public Schools Jon Norrbom Controller Robbinsdale Area Schools
Company Associates
Dan Held Senior Consultant Roof Spec Inc. Engineering/consulting services specializing in building envelope design, analysis and project management	John Neville Regional Director Ameresco, Inc. Energy performance contracting engineering

 

 

MASBO Members on the Move

Jon  Kringen Long Prairie-Grey Eagle School District 205 2nd St. South Long Prairie, MN  56347 jkringen@lpge.k12.mn.us Fax: 320-732-3791 Phone: 320-732-2194 Ken Moos has retired from the Education Finance Specialist 2 position within Program Finance, MDE, effective September 9, 2008.

Chuck Herdegen Business Manager New Discoveries Montessori Academy

Alliance for Student Achievement 7th Annual Education Summit

The Alliance for Student Achievement invites you to the

7th Annual Education Summit
Today's Students-Tomorrow's Citizens
Friday, October 17
8 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
St. Paul River Center

Keynotes

• Harold Hodgkinson, Director of the Center for Demographic Policy  
  
  One of the nation's leading educational demographers will question
  today's reform efforts that focus on the system itself but overlook the
  needs of the people who are moving through the system.
  

• Associate Justice Paul Anderson, Minnesota Supreme Court
  
  A Minnesota native with experience in courts, school boards and youth
  volunteer services, Justice Anderson will share his perspective about
  civic engagement.

Plus…seven great breakout speakers including funding, equity, early education, after school education, what students need to be prepared for college and the world.

Details posted soon at www.allianceforstudentachievement.org

 

Funding Your OPEB Liability: 
Two Key Legislative Actions that Affect Your District
by Aaron A. Casper, AIF® National Insurance Services - aacasper@nis-sif.com

On March 7, 2008 Governor Pawlenty signed Act 3201. This Act clarified what others have felt strongly about all along, specifically that OPEB funds that are held in a trust are legal. OPEB funds are Other Post Employment Benefits – typically these are retiree health care benefits.

Additionally, Act 3201 provides new opportunities for districts to expand trust investments. Prior to this legislation, investments were limited. Now districts can choose investment strategies that are more suitable to long-term investment goals, thereby reducing your district’s Annual Required Contribution, (ARC). For example, if your earnings increased from an average of 4% to 6.5% over 30 years your ARC could be reduced by as much as 35%.

The second significant legislative action is an amended provision in The Omnibus Tax Bill (2008 Minn. Laws, Chapter 154, Article 10, Section 22). This new provision gives district boards authority to issue bonds for funding actuarial liabilities to pay OPEB as defined by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB).

Specifically, Sec. 22. Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 475.52, subdivision 6, has been amended to read (edited for brevity): “… Any municipality may issue bonds … for funding actuarial liabilities to pay post-employment benefits to employees or officers after their termination of service; or for funding all or part of the municipality's current and future unfunded liability for a pension or retirement fund or plan … The board of trustees or directors of a pension fund … must consent and must be a party to any contract made under this section …”

The bill gives districts the ability to use the following types of trust administrators:

1. The Public Employees Retirement Association
2. A bank or banking association
3. An insurance company or agency with at least five years experience in investment products and services for group retirement benefits, and has a specialized department dedicated to services for retirement investment products.

For a PDF copy of the act and/or the bill, email your request to Aaron Casper aacasper@nis-sif.com

Geothermal Makes the Grade in Minnesota Schools
By:  Randy A. Zaddach, DLR Group - rzaddach@dlrgroup.com

More and more school districts are struggling with rising energy costs and are looking for alternatives to conventional heating and cooling systems. We are constantly asked by districts what geothermal systems are and if they will make sense in their school buildings. More than 500 schools nationwide and many here in Minnesota have installed geothermal heat pump (GHP) systems for heating and cooling needs and are reaping substantial energy savings.

What are geothermal heating and cooling systems? Basically, they move heat from the ground and into the building during the winter and move heat from the building into the ground during the summer. Most are closed loop systems that circulate an environmentally friendly water or anti-freeze solution through polyethylene pipes that are buried in the earth in vertical boreholes between 100 to 400 feet deep. The heating/cooling load for the building and the “conductivity” of the surrounding earth will determine the extent of the well field. The pipes operate within a heat exchange process much the same as a refrigerator or air conditioner. Keep in mind that these systems only exchange temperature and air handling systems are still required to meet proper ventilation requirements.

Traditional GHP systems employ heat pumps that are located within the building and avoid unsightly outdoor mounted equipment. A GHP system usually eliminates the need for a boiler and cooling tower and can reduce the amount of square footage you need to construct. New generation system designs avoid heat pumps and utilize a single unit located in the central mechanical room. This unit is a heat recovery chiller/heater or Geo-H/C. A Geo-H/C can be connected to either a 2 or 4 pipe building system and can offer a high level of flexibility in control of spaces.

What are the benefits? Key benefits include energy savings, lower maintenance costs, space savings, safety and zone control. Energy savings (gas and electric) will vary from building to building but can range from 25 to 50%. A careful analysis is required to look at the initial cost versus the payback before committing to these systems. In some cases, especially with rising energy costs, paybacks can be as short as 7-10 years. Another advantage of a GHP is the ability to control heating or cooling in individual classrooms and other spaces. The addition of cooling can help offset potential for mold growth due to lower humidity levels.

How much will it cost? Initial cost will vary greatly due to location, size and soil conductivity. As a general statement, it costs around $10 per foot for a well and a total of $400,000-$800,000 for a GHP for a 100,000 SF building. Performing a life-cycle cost analysis that compares it to other conventional systems will yield a clear picture of it’s feasibility for your project.

In summary, although these systems can come with a steep price tag, the long term savings and benefits are substantial. Consideration and analysis should include geothermal as an option on any new or remodeling project in your district. As always, do your homework and use architects and engineers with specific experience and expertise in this area.

ASBO Meritorious Budget Awards Program (MBA)

The MBA program, sponsored by ING, promotes and recognizes excellence in school budget presentation and enhances the school business officials’ skills in developing, analyzing, and presenting a school system budget.  School districts must submit their application for this program to ASBO no later than 90 days after the budget’s legal approval.  Additional information regarding the MBA program can be found at:
http://asbointl.org/index.asp?bid=69

Minnesota Department of Education Reference Information

A listing of MDE dates and deadlines is available on the MDE website:  http://education.state.mn.us/mde/index.html 
Click on the Data Submissions under the Data tab at the top of the home page. 

MDE Contact Information
EDRS questions:  Mike Matlock at mike.matlcok@stte.mn.us or (651) 582-8379 or
Mona Regan at mona.regan@state.mn.us or (651) 582-8638.
Aid Adjustment Calculation questions:  Mike Landers at mike.landers@state.mn.us or (651)582-8810.
ADM estimates for charters in their first three years, accessing EDRS, getting an EDRS account and/or obtaining your ADM and LEP Projections password can be addressed to Jeanne Krile at 651-582-8637 or Jeanne.krile@state.mn.us.
ADM projections and/or entering data to EDRS can be addressed to Sharon Peck at 651-582-8811 or Sharon.peck@state.mn.us.
Audit Reports, Corrective Action Plans, the Fiscal Compliance Table, Profiles and Other Financial Reports, or MDE Website Information, please contact Mary Weigel at mary.weigel@state.mn.us or 651-582-8770.
Credit Enhancement Program, Operating Capital Debt, Statutory Operating Debt, Student Activity Accounting, the School Finance Award, School Board Training or Charter School Finances, please contact Charles Speiker at charles.speiker@state.mn.us or 651-582-8737.
EDRS access, getting an EDRS account, updating an EDRS account and/or obtaining your ADM and LEP Projections password can be addressed to Lisa Stoffel at 651-582-8713 or Lisa.stoffel@state.mn.us.
MARSS questions can be addressed to Marilynn Loehr at marilynn.loehr@state.mn.us (651) 582-8592.
Q Comp application process questions:  Kristie Anderson at (651) 582-8860 or kristie.anderson@state.mn.us .
Tuition Invoice questions:  George Holt at george.holt@state.mn.us or (651) 582-8889 or Jeanne Krile at jeanne.krile@state.mn.us or (651) 582-8637.  
UFARS submissions, UFARS coding and accounting, UFARS Turnaround Reports, UFARS code requests, or the UFARS manual, please contact Karen Dykoski at karen.dykoski@state.mn.us or 651-582-8766.

For all other financial management, accounting and reporting questions, please contact Janna Duffy, Financial Management Supervisor, at janna.duffy@state.mn.us or 651-582-8788.