School budgets and funding expected to be tight at area schools

Schools across the State of Minnesota are facing tight budgets after recent trends in the Minnesota Legislature, especially after a record amount of spending in 2023. Ada Borup West Superintendent Aaron Cook explains why schools like Ada Borup West are seeing their budgets tighten up 

The record spending in 2023, also came with a ton on new mandates for schools. Mahnomen Superintendent Jeff Bisek says a lot of these mandates are unfunded, and that they are also causing issues for schools budgets across the state. 

While good in nature, another program passed by the state that is causing issues for schools is the Free School meals program. Cook explains the financial impact it’s having on schools. 

Cook was a guest on the KRJB Kaleidoscope which airs weekdays at 9:00 AM on KRJB 106.5 FM.