The Minot Public School Board on Thursday gave final approval to a 2020-21 school district budget with a deficit of $3.3 million.

Revenue is projected at $114.7 million and expenditures are projected at $118 million.

Business Manager Scott Moum said he budgeted for the worst case scenario and the actual deficit will probably be lowered by several hundred thousand dollars by the end of the year.

Taxpayers will see a slight decrease in school property taxes, as the mill levy will go down by about 2 mills. That will be offset by a slight increase in taxable valuations for properties within the district that will generate more dollars. Board member Miranda Schuler said taxpayers will appreciate the relief in their school-related property tax bills, which Moum estimates will be about $18 per year for the owner of a $200,000 home in the district.

Moum said up to 85 percent of the budget includes salaries and benefits for administrators, faculty and staff.

The district has also received grant funding, including a $664,000 grant included in this year’s budget revenue that is targeted toward helping to improve reading skills. Other funding includes $1.7 million distributed by the state from the federal CARES Act that is intended to go toward COVID-19 related expenditures. Some funding will be used to pay for additional teachers or employees in the district’s after-school program that might otherwise have had to lay off some staff. That funding must all be spent by December or it will be lost, said Moum. The district also received additional funding from another grant that is intended to go to COVID-related expenditures.

School superintendent Mark Vollmer told the board that the district saved money on transportation, lights, and water bills last spring when schools across the state had to go to a distance-learning only model. The state also did not reduce funding for schools even though kids were not in the buildings.

Vollmer said the district had actually anticipated a greater budget deficit this year.

He emphasized that this is not a typical year for the school district.

The district also had a budget deficit during the previous school year.

On another matter, board member Mike Gessner asked about the status of talks on a second high school for the school district.

Vollmer said the school district has still not closed a deal with Cognizant but an update will be provided to the school board at a future meeting. In June, Cognizant agreed to sell its two office buildings and surrounding land at 2000 21st Avenue NW to the school district for the nominal fee of $10. Vollmer had said at the time that the site would be a good location for a second 9-12 high school. There would have to be an additional and renovation done at the site.