Sixteen District 241 residents are taking a crash course in one of the most complicated subjects there is: the school budget.

Insiders often joke that the only person in Minnesota who completely understands the funding process for schools is the person who keeps track of it for the state.

Mark Stotts, director of finance and operations for District 241, is teaching the group, known as the Budget Advisory Committee, how the district’s budget works.

He said he hopes the process will teach interested people what they want to know about the finance process, but he also hopes it will help to get the message out to the public about how the process really works.

&uot;There is a lot of rumors and misinformation about what you can do with district funding,&uot; Stotts said. &uot;We’re hoping that by educating these people it will get the real information out to the public.&uot;

The group was formed early this year. It consists of community members from various fields and backgrounds, according to Stotts. It eventually will provide some input and recommendations for the school board, though it won’t actually have any voting power.

Every month the group meets to learn more about the budget.

According to Charles Borneman, a member of the committee, the first meeting gave an overview of where the funds come from.

Borneman said he learned some interesting information.

&uot;I was surprised at a few of the things, as far as what the state makes the school district do in order to receive funding and how the amount of funds is calculated for the various school districts for various reasons,&uot; he said. &uot;A lot of little things like that are interesting.&uot;

Borneman has grandchildren in the district, but said his main reason for joining the group was to give some input and get a better understanding of the district.

Another committee member, Teresa Matheson, currently has children in the district.

&uot;I wanted to be on the committee because I have four kids in the school district and realize how important their experiences in school are,&uot; she said.

Matheson said she is also hoping to be able to get good information to people when they ask or are misinformed.

&uot;The more people that know in the community, that have a better understand of how it works, the more it will help the district overall,&uot; she said.

Matheson said she is glad to be a part of the committee and commended the district for putting the program together.

&uot;I think its a great thing that they opened it up to the community,&uot; she said.