BYRON, MINN. – Facing mounting pressure over the district’s mishandling of its finances, Byron Public Schools Superintendent Mike Neubeck said Friday that he will resign at the end of the school year.
His announcement follows months of financial uncertainty after a $1.5 million miscalculation was discovered in last year’s budget. Neubeck’s administration has struggled since then to win back the community’s trust. In November, voters rejected the district’s request for a $1.9 million levy increase by a 16-point margin.
In a statement, the district said Neubeck decided to resign after discussion with members of the school board. His last day will be June 30.
“This decision is made with a shared commitment to ensuring the stability of the district while maintaining a continued focus on our mission to serve students, staff, and the community,” the district said.
“Dr. Neubeck’s decision provides the Byron School District with the necessary time and opportunity to hire a new superintendent.”
Reached Friday, Neubeck declined to comment.
The school district’s financial woes were made public in the spring when it revealed a financial miscalculation related to labor negotiations in the previous year. While a long-awaited audit of the 2023-24 budget won’t be completed until later this month, Neubeck told parents last week that preliminary findings show the district with a $2 million shortfall, primarily because of the miscalculation.
The combination of the oversight and rejected levy request has led the district to propose $1.6 million in additional cuts to next year’s school budget. In the meantime, the district’s balances are so low that the board voted last week to borrow $3.5 million to make a debt-service payment due in January.
