CCWS 02-18-2003 - Laserfiche WebLink

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ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MINUTES TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18,2003 2 -~~--_. - . Staff was directed to bring this item to the Council Meeting on March 10, 2003. The play structure would be purchased with money from the General Fund. ISD #621 Update 1. District Update; Financial Issues Superintendent Dr. Jan Witthuhn presented and explained demographic information in the Mounds View School District. Director John Maas presented and explained Financial Accountability. Deputy Clerk Young asked if the school board expected an election this fall for a special levy. Superintendent Witthuhn stated there would be a levy, but the actual language and amounts were not required to be made available to the public until September . 2003. She further stated that the effects of a levy not being passed were serious. Those effects were listed on the back page of the financial forecast packet. She added that vocational and technical programs would not be affected because the high schools were part of a network of schools, and vocational and technical programs were offered at those other schools. Administrator Lynch asked ifD.A.R.E. funding would end in 2003. Superintendent Witthuhn replied that the D.A.R.E. program was funded with Crime Levy money, and to her knowledge, funding would not change. The only possible change would be that the program would move to the middle schools. She added that the Student Response Officer (SRO) would continue as they are now. Councilmember Larson asked how the district could justifY a levy with a drop in enrollment. Director Maas eXplained that at the peak of enrollment, which was beyond capacity, the district was forced to lease buildings to accommodate the enrollment sIze. He further explained that with the current reduction in enrollment, the . number of students is at a more manageable number, but programs were still being conducted in leased space. He then stated the district still needed to relocate those