School district to sell buses and cut costs after failed referendum

Last November residents overwhelmingly rejected the operating referendum that would have supplemented the annual budget of Dover-Eyota public schools by $1 million annually. Since then, officials of the small southeastern Minnesota school district have been scrutinizing the budget for ways to cut costs, while maintaining quality. As the Post Bulletin indicates, the rural district is far from alone.

All told, Dover-Eyota Public Schools is trimming $755,000 from its budget for the coming year. On Monday, Superintendent Jeremy Frie described the process as something many school districts are having to navigate.

“It’s tough right now,” Frie said. “Schools are clawing and scratching and trying to survive, and also trying to offer a good product for the kids.”

The smaller the district, the fewer the options on the table for consideration. But due to circumstances, Dover-Eyota took advantage of the opportunity to cut a key administrative position.

Next year, Sarah Carlson will have three more grades added to her roster when she becomes the principal of not just Dover-Eyota High School, but of the district’s middle school as well. The current middle school principal, John Ostrowski, is preparing to retire, and the district’s leadership has decided not to replace him as one of a handful of cost-saving measures they’re implementing.

In addition, the district will no longer own and operate its own school buses. The move to privatize the bus service will pay dividends for several years to come.

The district is making a handful of other reductions as well. Among them will be the sale of its bus fleet in favor of contracting with a company for transportation.

The district is estimating the move will save roughly $50,000 a year. Although negotiations are still underway, they’re also estimating they will receive a one-time infusion of cash between $500,000 and $600,000 from the sale of its buses to the company.

The current round of reductions will buy Dover-Eyota schools some time. But the superintendent says it’s inevitable the district will be back before long with another funding referendum to put before taxpayers. To be continued…