WHITE BEAR LAKE, Minn. - While school districts across Minnesota are dealing with tight budgets, White Bear Lake has no plans for layoffs or school closings.
The suburban east metro district made some cuts a few years ago, but White Bear Lake is now looking for ways to expand.
While some Minnesota schools look for programs to cut, White Bear Lake has been slowly adding back. The district is avoiding cuts for now, but Superintendent Michael Lovett says there's still the potential for trouble.
"We're cautiously optimistic about the next two years, or three years," Lovett told Minnesota Public Radio News. "But recognize that unless things improve at the state and national level, we'll have some difficult choices ahead of us."
White Bear Lake has two reasons for its decent budget outlook: Voters approved a tax levy last year and enrollment has stayed relatively steady. State funding is based on enrollment, so a big dip in student numbers hits districts' budgets.
None of the White Bear Lake schools has a swimming pool, so the district has partnered with the YMCA to use its facility. The partnerships with community groups help save money because they keep the district from needing to build a swimming pool, for example.
But White Bear Lake has known painful budget cuts in the past.
"White Bear has been there and done that," said Ted Blaesing, who was White Bear's superintendent until his retirement last year.