School board presents tentative budget

The White County Board of Education’s tentative Fiscal Year 2023 budget includes a $41 million general fund balanced by estimated revenue increases.

The proposed spending plan was discussed at the school board’s April 28 meeting. The general fund includes the bulk of day-to-day operations budget for instruction, transportation and administration.

Budgeted expenses are projected to rise by roughly $3 million, attributed to higher costs in contracted services, fuel, utilities, and operating costs. There is also an increase in salary and step increases in pay for certified and classified employees based on the state salary schedule. School Finance Director Julie Dorsey said, “Because of the fact that the state was doing a 2,000 dollar increase for all certified staff,  we wanted to also do something for classified staff. And we looked at some of the recent salary director studies, and Laura and Dr. Burkett did some analysis on that as well, and we wanted to do something that was equitable, and so for most of the classified staff, we tried to look at ok what would it kind of change on their salary if we set a 2,000 dollar increase, or something in that range just to try to get some of them up to speed. Because some of them were very much behind the average middle of the road, so we wanted to be competitive so we could retain staff.”

Superintendent Dr. Laurie Burkett made the comment, “I think it says a lot that we have a healthy fund balance and that we are able to give back to our people.” She went onto say that this raise in salary will really help out the paraprofessionals on their staff and that they deserve this raise for all their hard work. 

Revenues are projected to raise by about $2 million. Dorsey says they anticipate state Quality Basic Education (QBE) funding to raise by $919,097. The general fund budget also factors a current estimated growth of $300,000 in local ad valorem tax and title ad valorem tax (TAVT) revenue, though that amount could change when official figures from the county tax digest are presented.

The tentative general fund budget includes an estimated fund balance of $11,148,030.

For debt services, the school system is estimating revenues totaling $4,120,308 and an expenditure of $3,759,000. The debt services are mainly bond and interest payments.

Under capital projects, the school system is estimating to have $9,020,000 in revenues, and $28,267,111 in expenditures. Dorsey said the expenditures are defiantly more than what they are used to seeing, but with all the big projects being built this year, such as the new transportation center and the new performing arts center this is the best guess as to what they anticipate in the new fiscal year.

The Board of Education will hold public budget hearings in the coming month and they will vote on approving the final budget is planned for 6 p.m. on June 30.