School board updated on facilities survey

By Chad Koenen

Publisher

Enrollment at New York Mills School remains strong as the school district continues to flirt with an average daily enrollment of 800 students. 

According to the school district’s 2025 year end audit, the NY Mills School District had an ADM of 793 students in grades K-12 last year, which was down three students from the year before, but significantly higher than the 737 students NY Mills had enrolled in the school district just 10 years ago. The steady enrollment data has provided a bit of financial stability for the growing school district at a time when a number of local school districts have seen their enrollment decrease a bit in recent years.

During its regularly scheduled meeting last week, the NY Mills School District heard its year-end audit report from Alex Strong of Eide Bailly As part of her presentation to the school board, Strong said the school district’s enrollment is a positive for the school district as it is the driver for state funding sources for public schools. 

In addition to enrollment data, Strong highlighted the financial picture at NY Mills School. Last year the school district’s general fund decreased by $320,405, the food service fund decreased by $44,899 and the debt service fund decreased by $48,018. However, the community service fund increased by $22,456. 

Strong said two of the main reasons for the decrease in the general fund revolved around an increase in costs, as well as a decrease in special education funding. 

Strong also highlighted the school district’s unassigned fund balance. According to the school district policy, the NY Mills School District strives to maintain no less than six weeks, or 11.54 percent of expenditures in its unrestricted fund balance. This past year the unassigned fund balance fell just below the school district’s policy, while the unrestricted fund met the district policy. 

When asked by school board member Kristina Ehnert whether the district should focus on the total fund balance, or the unassigned fund balance when looking at its overall financial picture, Strong said both numbers are important but the overall fund balance may provide the best picture of the district’s financial standing.

“Of course it is always nice to have more of a buffer in that unassigned fund balance because it is more of a rainy day fund, but I would concentrate on your overall fund balance as well,” she said.

Facility 

assessment report

The NY Mills School Board heard a detailed facility assessment survey from Lori Christensen, Mark Ondracek and Dan Miller from ICS. The report highlighted the current state of the school building, future building projects and how the school district building compares to current Minnesota Department of Education guidelines.

Ondracek said the report he compiled on the school building was strictly visual as he did not complete tests to make sure the various intricacies of the building were in working order. 

The extensive plan presented by ICS included everything from more secure entries to the school, relocating classrooms for better flow, improvements to the auditorium, replacing flooring, adding storage, a number of improvements to classrooms and even things like improvements to the bus garage, improving the drainage away from the school and replacing the track surface came in at a cost of $11.5 million. 

The facility assessment survey from ICS will be discussed at future meetings as the school board narrows the scope and looks into the projects highlighted by ICS in more detail. The assessment survey was the first step in highlighting potential future projects at the school.

In other news

• Acknowledged the following donations: $5,000 from Farmers and Merchants State Bank for the football scoreboard, $5,000 from Perham Health for the football scoreboard, $5,000 from the New York Mills Lions Club for the baseball scoreboard and $250 from the East Otter Tail County Ag Society for FFA. 

• Approved a pair of overnight stay requests from the wrestling team that included the middle school team staying overnight on Friday, Dec. 19 for a wrestling tournament in Pierz and the varsity team staying overnight for the Casselton Letterman’s Tournament on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026.

• Heard the activities report from Bryan Dunrud who said Dustin Geiser has accepted the position of head girls wrestling coach, the scoreboard on Blake’s Field was installed on the JV baseball field and the school district is currently looking at a HUDL camera for varsity baseball and softball games. Dunrud also informed the board about changes from the Minnesota State High School League concerning junior high athletes and being moved up to sanctioned MSHSL sports (C-squad through varsity). 

• Heard the elementary principal report from Judith Brockway who informed the school board that staff training is going well, the e-learning plans went home to parents as the school district prepares for the winter months and bus safety training took place on October 22 for the elementary students. 

• Heard the high school principal report from Michelle Young who highlighted the homecoming week activities that included the first homecoming parade in a number of years, as well as a request from a neighboring school district to discuss what NY Mills School has done over the past few years to see steady growth in their MCA test scores. Young said the neighboring school district asked questions about the NY Mills curriculum and programming and Young also highlighted the staff members at the school. 

• Heard the superintendents report from Adam Johnson who said school safety has been a recent topic of discussion. He said the school district is looking at using the Standard Response Protocol from I Love You Guys Foundation and ALICE training to work together to help with communication and planning for emergencies. Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office, NY Mills Police Department and NY Mills Fire Department will be at the school on November 26 at 1:30 p.m. to go through an ALICE simulation.