ASBSD Directors receive current audit report, plan for membership survey

ASBSD will cut expenses by one-half percent and use $80,000 from reserves to balance the association's budget next year, the ASBSD Board of Directors decided May 14 in Pierre.

With the approval of the $2.2 million budget, directors followed through on a plan to freeze association dues for the 2011-12 school year - a directive they established during early budget discussions. The board suspended the association's dues formula, which calculates dues based on school district expenditures, in response to the cuts to K-12 education.

"Our board is made up of local school board members, and we know schools are facing steep financial challenges," said ASBSD President Neil Putnam, a school board member from Mitchell. "The entire board felt it was necessary to avoid a dues increase."

ASBSD President Neil Putnam presides over the ASBSD Board of Directors meeting help May 14 in Pierre.

Even as dues remain flat, ASBSD staff is working to find efficiencies and expand services - an effort Putnam said is intended to "build value in ASBSD membership." Starting next year, access to the online school board policy reference manual and the ASBSD School Board Handbook will be included in membership dues. Both services were previously offered on a fee-for-service basis.

Board receives audit

ASBSD is in good financial shape and association finances are being appropriately managed, according to a third-party auditor.

A representative from Palmer Currier & Hoffert, an auditing firm based in Pierre, shared what he termed a "clean" audit for fiscal year FY10.

Audited financial statements are featured in an annual report to the membership, which was recently sent to all school board members and administrators.

Membership survey planned

Members of the ASBSD Board of Directors also examined and edited an initial draft of a membership survey, which will be sent to all school board members and superintendents in the near future.

The survey, which asks for member feedback on a range of association services and issues, will be designed to function either as a paper survey or a online questionnaire.

Survey results will be used for strategic planning purposes. With a new executive director expected to join the association, directors are planning an extra meeting next year to focus on long-range goals. ASBSD last conducted a member survey in 2006.