Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pella School District finances remain strong according to administration. The Pella School Board approved the 2021-22 fiscal year budget at their meeting this week. Superintendent Greg Ebeling says despite a decline in enrollment due to families opting out this past fall and additional expenses related to the pandemic and in-person classes, he believes they will be able to maintain operations as needed heading into the next academic year, especially with additional federal aid coming in and an expectation that most families will return to the district in August. Ebeling says masks will remain a requirement through the end of this current school year, with hopes of returning to even more normality after the summer and the rollout of vaccines are fully established.