Summer Rec program receives $25,000 in donations

By Robert Williams

Editor

The Frazee School Board approved the preliminary 2025 fiscal year school district budget at the monthly meeting on Monday, June 10.

“Nothing is really surprising in the budget this year,” District Business Manager Chrissy Clapsaddle said.

Clapsaddle noted a decrease in revenues primarily tied to a decrease of 13 students from a budget revision done in May. 

Hopes are for an increase at the lower levels as class sizes in upper grades are higher than what has been coming in from the elementary.

“Hopefully that will change this year,” said Clapsaddle. “I think Travis (Elementary Principal Nagel) is expecting better numbers, but I’m still budgeting conservatively because it’s easier to have money than have it taken away.”

The district benefited by a 2 percent Basic Formula Allowance (BFA) increase in FY25. This equates to $134/Adjusted Pupil Units (APU) in FY25.

The basic revenue for each district equals the formula allowance times the adjusted pupil units for the school year.

Expenditures increased due to negotiated salaries, two retirements, along with higher Long Term Facilities Maintenance (LTFM) costs due to accelerated roofing projects.

“We’re trying to pay that over two years, instead of stretching it to four,” said Clapsaddle.

District Capital Outlay 

“We spent more this year, primarily to give those items that have been put on hold for a while,” she said. “Overall, there is nothing that jumped out that was odd or unexpected.”

Superintendent Terry Karger related that increasing student numbers is paramount while working with a limited budget.

“We need another year where we have more kiddos coming into our district; it makes a big difference,” said Karger. “Like Chrissy said, she’s on the conservative side. That’s how we want to approach this. If we continue to have another year like last year and continue to increase our student population that’s huge. As we do that, we have to be very conservative on how we spend money that we have not budgeted for. If we can stay within those bounds and keep things tight, we can see another 15-20 kids next spring would be okay. If we don’t or we regress, then we go back to a conversation we had a couple years ago.”

Hornet Pride

The school district received $25,412 in total donations for the summer recreation program:

• Acorn Lake Veterinary/Randall Lindemann DVM ($200)

• AgCountry Farm Credit Services ($200)

• All In All ($200)

• Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC ($25)

• Ames and Peterson Orthodontics ($200.00)

• Arvig Enterprises, Inc. ($500)

• Back Woods, LLC ($100)

• Beaudry Oil & Propane ($100)

• Bell Bank ($100)

• Brian’s Repair ($100)

• Brunswick Boat Group/Lund Boats ($150)

• BTD Manufacturing, Inc. ($500)

• Caulfield Studios, Inc. ($200)

• City of Frazee ($10,825)

• D&D Appliance Inc. ($30)

• Daggett Truck Line ($1,000)

• Eastman Fence & Sons, LLC ($150)

• EOT Insurance Agency, LLC ($100)

• Fastenal Company ($200)

• First National Bank ($50)

• Foltz Buildings, LLC ($200)

• Foltz Trucking, Inc. ($100)

• Franklin Fence ($1,000)

• Frazee Auto Body & Glass ($35)

• Furey Funeral Home ($100)

• Gemstone Masonry Operating Company, Inc. ($280)

• Glacier Salt, Inc. ($50)

• Grand Central, Inc. DBA Central Market ($100)

• Great North Properties, LLC ($100)

• GROW Frazee-Vergas ($250)

• Hammers Construction, Inc. ($50)

• Hilltop Lumber Co., Inc. ($100)

• Horace Mann | Valley Educators Insurance Services, Inc. ($100)

• Hough, Inc. ($100)

• ICS Consulting (Lori Christensen) ($100)

• ICS Consulting, LLC ($200)

• J.C. Electric, Inc. ($100)

• K.L.N. Enterprises ($350)

• Kiwanis Club of Detroit Lakes ($100)

• Lakeridge Dental ($50)

• Lakes Country Heating & Air Conditioning ($500)

• Lamb-Weston/RDO Frozen ($100)

• Lucky Little Learners, LLC ($1,500)

• Maple Hills Golf Club, Inc. ($100)

• Mark’s Fleet Supply Inc. ($300)

• Mark’s Home & More ($200)

• Mike’s Lock & Key Service ($25)

• MMCDC ($500)

• Nisswa Family Fun Waterpark 5 tickets @ $25 = $125

• O’Reilly Auto Parts ($25)

• OK Lumber Hardware, LLC ($200)

• Otter Berry Farm ($100)

• Perham Family Dentistry ($500)

• Perham Stockyards ($50)

• Prairie Embroidery Sponsors Printed at No Cost (183 shirts at $8 =$1,464)

• Ray’s Sports and Marine/Hernesman Boat Group Perham, Inc. ($50)

• Reuter Family Dentistry ($217)

• Rotary International | Detroit Lakes Noon Rotary ($200)

• SJE-Rhombus ($100)

• Spanky’s Stone Hearth ($50)

• Stowman Law Firm, P.A. ($100)

• Team Industries ($500)

• The Nines Purse and $25 Gift Certificate

• Thorwaldsen & Malmstrom Law Firm ($100)

• Thrivent Financial-Jennifer Janson ($100)

• Thrivent Financial-Nate Woodard ($100)

• Tomlinson Schultz ($100)

• United Community Bank ($1,000)

• Vergas 66 Gas & Convenience Store ($100)

• Walmart #01-2957 ($100)

• Yak-Shack Beauty Salon ($100)

A donation from Gloria Beck, $10 and Jane Kunz, $100 for Day of Caring.

Wadena Fastenal and Jay Maust donated 20 cases of water to the elementary school – it was used during the Spring Fun Carnival.

Thaddeus Helmers donated $120.13, to be used for past due lunch accounts

Staffing

Approval of the:

• Resignation of the High School Administrative Michelle Suhsen, effective June 20

• Hiring Part-Time Summer Technology Help Michelle Sharp

• Hiring an elementary teacher Joe Mollberg

• Hiring an Assistant Dance Coach Jocelyn Reuter

• Original teacher agreement adjustment to Language Pathologist Paige Martelle

Enrollment

The school district received the Enrollment Options Applications for enrollment out of the District to: Detroit Lakes (2), Lake Park (1) and into the District: Detroit Lakes (1).

Service agreements

• Approval of the Minnesota State High School League annual resolution for membership for the 2024-25 school year

• Facility Use Agreement with the City of Frazee for the district to use the City of Frazee Event Center to provide services during a disaster. 

• Service Agreement with Stellher Human Services, Inc. for the 2024-25 School Year for 2 FTE Mental Health Therapy Service providers.

• Stellar is requesting less money from the district compared to years prior.

“We are getting a very good investment for the amount of money,” said Karger. “The people they bring to us do a fabulous job. It’s a very good deal for everybody involved and the cost is tremendous as far as the commitment we have is very minimal.”

• Service Agreement with Freshwater Education District for a .5 FTE School Counselor Martin Thorp.

• Renew the Property/Liability and Workers Compensation Insurance Proposal with Bremer Insurance for FY25 – EMC and First Dakota Indemnity are the providers.