Havre schools look ahead to next year

As the school year enters its last quarter, it's time again for the Havre Public Schools' Board of Trustees annual guiding of the year ahead.

Tuesday night's meeting in the Havre Middle School Auditorium will set in motion several chains of events that will lay down the path for the districts' coming year, including the calling of trustee elections and the superintendent's first report on the 2012-2013 school year budget.

The districts announced March 1 that three trustee seats are up for election this year, those currently occupied by Harvey Capellen and Lee Christianson, in elementary District A, and Aileen Couch in high school District 16.

Capellen said at the time that he was running again. Christianson said then he was unsure. Couch, who could not be reached just after the previous announcement, said this morning that she too is undecided on whether to run again.

Superintendent Andy Carlson will be speaking to the board about the current state of the districts' budget for next year.

The main difference between this year and next is the large changes in enrollment in both the elementary and high school districts.

An large kindergarten class at Highland Park, with more than 20 students than enrolled last year, should give the elementary district some extra funds.

Another overall rise in the elementary district enrollment figures occurred this year because of last year's particularly small eighth-grade class graduating into this year's freshman class.

That smaller class moving on also led to this year's freshman class being 16 students smaller than last year.

High school enrollment grew by 7, so its budget is expected to be similar to recent years.

A new agreement the trustees approved at their last meeting will allow the elementary district and high school district to share funds on certain expenses, like utility bills.