2008-09 - White Bear Lake Area Schools

www.whitebear.k12.mn.usTechnology Grants• Ingenuity Grants – The 3MCorporation awarded District staffmembers with grants to add newtechnologies to their classrooms.• Science, Technology, Engineering andMathematics (STEM) Grants – TheH.B. Fuller Company Foundationawarded STEM Mini-Grants totalingnearly $18,000 to five Districtteachers from Central and SunrisePark Middle Schools. The grants wereused to provide materials to supportclassroom instruction and studentwork.• Project Lead the Way – The Districtwas awarded a grant of $60,000 to bedistributed over a three year periodto support implementation of ProjectLead the Way. The project willintroduce and prepare middle andhigh school students for engineeringand technical careers throughpartnerships with institutions ofhigher education and the privatesector. The District is completingthe certification process and couldbe eligible by the end of the 2009-10school year to grant studentscollege credit.• SMART Board Grants – The WhiteBear Lake Area EducationalFoundation presented the Districtwith $65,000 to fund the purchaseof SMART Boards for classrooms.Financial ManagementTo help the District meet its educational goals, theWhite Bear Lake Area Schools remains committed tofiscal responsibility and a balanced budget to ensure thatmaximum resources reach our classrooms.Interest 1%Federal 4%Property Taxes27%CommunityService 5%Food Service4%Transportation4%Capital10%Nine consecutive yearsWBLAS is the only Minnesota school district to receiveExcellence in Financial Reporting awards from boththe Association of School Business Officials and theGovernment Finance Officer’s Association. These are thehighest forms of recognition in this area.AA Bond rating2008-09 Revenue Analysis by SourceFees,Charges8%DebtServ7%State60%2008-09 Expense analysis by fundGeneral70%The District received a AA bond rating from Standardand Poor’s. WBLAS is one of only 12 school districts inMinnesota to receive a rating of AA or higher.FinanceFinance17