City schools present balanced budget plan
Published 10:45 am Thursday, June 19, 2014
The Brookhaven School Board presented a balanced budget at a specially called board meeting Tuesday afternoon.
Susan Cochran, BSD director of finance, said the budget is based on a total estimated revenue of $27,489,282, with almost half coming from state sources. The largest expenditure will be to pay for salaries and related benefits of the district faculty, making up approximately 75 percent of the expenditure budget.
Cochran said their Mississippi Adequate Education Program funding increased this year and federal grants have not officially come in. She said she estimated federal funding at 90 percent of what they received last year.
The budget includes funding for two school buses, a time keeping system, a new kindergarten teacher position and a new teaching position at the Brookhaven Technical Center.
Ben Cox, superintendent, said the district was lucky to receive an increase in state funding because many districts did not receive enough to cover the teachers’ pay raises.
The board also pointed out that millage rates have not increased since 2007, and Stan Patrick, board chairman, said Cochran has worked hard to keep prevent raising the millage taxes despite decreases in state funding.