Capital vs General Budgets question

[Matt Anderson]

I have my own idea of what the correct answer is but I wanted to know everyone's opinion on this.

If a district does not spend all of it's Capital budget can that unspent money go back to the General Budget?

[Mary Mehsikomer]

Hi Matt:
I'm not a school finance effort, so you might want to verify with Janna Duffy at the Minnesota Department of Education on this.

I do not believe a district can put unspent money from operating capital back into the general budget, but generally the capital expenditures funding can be used on about 27 different things. Here is the list from M.S. 126C.10:

Subd. 14.Uses of total operating capital revenue.Total operating capital revenue may be used only for the following purposes:

(1) to acquire land for school purposes;

(2) to acquire or construct buildings for school purposes;

(3) to rent or lease buildings, including the costs of building repair or improvement that are part of a lease agreement;

(4) to improve and repair school sites and buildings, and equip or reequip school buildings with permanent attached fixtures, including library media centers;

(5) for a surplus school building that is used substantially for a public nonschool purpose;

(6) to eliminate barriers or increase access to school buildings by individuals with a disability;

(7) to bring school buildings into compliance with the State Fire Code adopted according to chapter 299F;

(8) to remove asbestos from school buildings, encapsulate asbestos, or make asbestos-related repairs;

(9) to clean up and dispose of polychlorinated biphenyls found in school buildings;

(10) to clean up, remove, dispose of, and make repairs related to storing heating fuel or transportation fuels such as alcohol, gasoline, fuel oil, and special fuel, as defined in section 296A.01;

(11) for energy audits for school buildings and to modify buildings if the audit indicates the cost of the modification can be recovered within ten years;

(12) to improve buildings that are leased according to section 123B.51, subdivision 4;

(13) to pay special assessments levied against school property but not to pay assessments for service charges;

(14) to pay principal and interest on state loans for energy conservation according to section 216C.37 or loans made under the Douglas J. Johnson Economic Protection Trust Fund Act according to sections 298.292 to 298.298;

(15) to purchase or lease interactive telecommunications equipment;

(16) by board resolution, to transfer money into the debt redemption fund to: (i) pay the amounts needed to meet, when due, principal and interest payments on certain obligations issued according to chapter 475; or (ii) pay principal and interest on debt service loans or capital loans according to section 126C.70;

(17) to pay operating capital-related assessments of any entity formed under a cooperative agreement between two or more districts;

(18) to purchase or lease computers and related materials, copying machines, telecommunications equipment, and other noninstructional equipment;

(19) to purchase or lease assistive technology or equipment for instructional programs;

(20) to purchase textbooks;

(21) to purchase new and replacement library media resources or technology;

(22) to purchase vehicles;

(23) to purchase or lease telecommunications equipment, computers, and related equipment for integrated information management systems for:

(i) managing and reporting learner outcome information for all students under a results-oriented graduation rule;

(ii) managing student assessment, services, and achievement information required for students with individual education plans; and

(iii) other classroom information management needs; and

(24) to pay personnel costs directly related to the acquisition, operation, and maintenance of telecommunications systems, computers, related equipment, and network and applications software.