Superintendent Releases Budget

Originally Published: January 18, 2024

$14M In Add’l Funding, 84 Positions Cut

Superintendent Scott Smith and Assistant Superintendent of Fiscal Services Tammy McCourt previewed the Superintendent’s recommended budget for FY25. While the budget requests an additional $14M in local funding, it will also eliminate 85.4 positions because of the end of COVID relief funding. Smith said that it was hoped these positions could be saved by an increase of local or state funding, but that isn’t the reality. A total of $141.3M in county funding is requested.

Funding challenges have been expected for weeks now. The topic has been discussed during past Commissioner meetings, with Commissioner Hewitt saying the Board of Education has a $19M fund balance he’d like to see them use. Seemingly in response to that, the BOE’s budget includes a fund balance accounting. In June 2023, the fund balance was $19.7M, of which all but $8.6M was allocated for use in the FY24 budget. The remaining $8.6M is allocated primarily to Healthcare expenses ($6.6M), and the rest goes toward things like the Charter School, fuel, snow/emergency funding, employee wellness, and purchase orders. “If someone says the school board has a $19M fund balance, that is not a truthful statement,” Smith said.

In FY24, the budget was a total of $280.6M and the FY25 recommended budget is $289.1M, an increase of $8.5M or 3%. Budget highlights include:

-Administration increase of $159,814, or 3.4% for negotiated funding;

-Mid-Level Administration increase of $582,304, or 2.8% for negotiated funding;

-Instructional Salaries & Wages increase of $4,585,117, or 4.7% for negotiated funding;

-Textbook & Instructional Supplies decrease of $2,736,744, or 47% (previous allocation of fund balance in FY24 for textbook adoptions and computer refreshes)

-Other Instructional Costs decrease of $248,618 or 8.2% from a reduction in assessment contracts, repair of materials, contracted temp agency, and instructional equipment;

-Special Education increase of $1,007,577, or 4.4% for negotiated funding;

-Student Personnel Services increase of $185,019, or 11.1% for negotiated funding;

-Student Health Services increase of $59,510, or 1.9% for negotiated funding;

-Student Transportation increase of $2,429,378, or 10.3% for negotiated funding, hourly contracted driver/attendant rate increases; maintenance fee increase, healthcare trust contribution increase, contracted bus PVA increase, and contracted bus driver retention;

-Operation of Plant decrease of $1,010,600, or 4.3% from no vehicle replacements, and no allocation of fund balance;

-Maintenance of Plant decrease of $579,829, or 9.1% from reduced contracted painting and building repairs;

-Fixed Charges increase of $5,245,406, or 8.1% for social security associated with negotiated pension increase, minimal health insurance increase of 10%, and workers compensation insurance;

-Capital Outlay decrease of $1,122,239, or 48.3% from reduction of non-recurring items

Upcoming BOE budget related meetings are as follows:

-January 17th at 9AM, a public hearing for budget comments

-January 24th, a budget work session to provide direction on the budget

-January 31st, BOE approves recommended budget for submission to Commissioners