The Excelsior Springs School District has made up some financial ground, Superintendent Jaret Tomlinson told district leaders during a recent Board of Education meeting in the Support Services Center. For much of his superintendent’s report, Tomlinson focused on district finances. With help from a PowerPoint slide, he pointed out a $3.1-million difference in Fund 1 between the beginning of the 2021-22 school year and this one. As The Standard explained in a story published in July 2022 regarding budgeting, Fund 1 is used to cover the uncertified staff payroll, buy supplies and services, and make lease/purchase- related money transfers. The fund had $10 million when the 2021-22 school year began, and $6.9 million at the beginning of the 2022-23 school year. “We’ve talked about this throughout the year – … if you guys remember, I talked about (how) we need to do a good job this year of tightening our belt strap a little bit, slowing down ...