May 02, 2006 - 02:07:53 CDT
Centralizing printing services could save Mandan Public Schools time and money.The district is proceeding with opening a district print shop in its warehouse. Superintendent Kent Hjelmstad discussed the print shop Monday at the monthly district committee meetings with the Mandan School Board.
It would handle large printing jobs for teachers and other employees. This would free teachers from making large quantities of copies and save the district about $40,000 to $45,000 a year in paper and equipment costs, Hjelmstad said.
Each building in the district would have a copier for making 15 or fewer copies. Employees would use it with a code, Hjelmstad said.
Details on the type of machines and how the print shop would be staffed is being worked out. It would be in operation next school year. Hjelmstad said he anticipates it would take one part-time worker and possibly training someone at the warehouse to print and also make deliveries to the schools.
Teacher Kim Friends voiced concern at the committee meeting about turn-around time. She said staff members had heard anything from one day to two weeks. It could be two- to three-day turnaround, Hjelmstad said.
Board members Lynne Wolf and Kirsten Baesler work in the Bismarck Public Schools and they said their experience with that district's print shop is a one- to two-day turnaround time. Wolf said she sometimes sees one-day turnaround time on electronically submitted items.
Friends said she would like the option to submit items electronically.
Storing delivered items was a concern of Mandan High School Principal Mark Andresen. Baesler said items are delivered to teacher's boxes in Bismarck. For larger orders that do not fit, other school employees sometimes help take them to the teacher's room, Wolf said.
The switch to the district print shop will get rid of copying machines in the schools that do not work well, Hjelmstad said.
In other committee news:
The board may soon review bills during its finance committee meeting rather than the monthly school board meeting. Board member Kirsten Baesler suggested the switch because the bills are paid before the board approves them at the monthly meeting. Bills are paid on a weekly basis. In the past, bills were not paid until the board approved the bills, but vendors do not want to wait 30 days for this to happen, Hjelmstad said.
Century Code was changed to allow the bills to be paid sooner, Hjelmstad said. The board still approves the bills at its monthly meeting. Hjelmstad called it a screening process to make sure there are no out-of-the-ordinary purchases.
School boards can adopt a policy for the business manager to disburse money, so long as it has internal controls. If there is not such a policy in place, the business manager can only disburse money with approval of the board president.
The district has a policy called DJ Expenditure of Funds, approved in November 1979, that says the district clerk will provide a monthly report of receipts, expenditures and balances in each account. Another policy, approved in November 1979, policy DJEJ payment procedures, says the business office may issue written regulations covering the payment of bills. A third policy, BBABD duties of the business manager of the board, allows the business manager to pay out school funds as allowed by North Dakota Century Code. The policy, which spells out all of the business manager's duties was first approved in November 1979 and was updated in April 1995.
(Reach reporter Sara Kincaid at 250-8251 or sara.kincaid@;bismarcktribune.com.)
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