LCSB approves $28.7M budget

Published 10:06 am Thursday, June 30, 2016

The Lincoln County School Board voted Wednesday to approve the proposed budget for the 2016-17 school year.

“There has been no change since the hearing,” finance director Cheryl Shelby said.

A public hearing was held June 20. One resident attended to hear the budget proposal.

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School Board members Johnny Hart and Kay Coon were required to recuse themselves in two separate instances while the board voted on the parts of the budget that involved family members.

The new budget will have $26 million in revenue and $28.7 in million in expenditures. The difference in expenditures will be covered by the $32 million fund balance.

Shelby expects $3.8 million of the revenue to come from ad valorem taxes, which is $3,000 more than in 2016. LCSD officials don’t expect ad valorem taxes to increase because of this change, though millage rates are set by the Lincoln County Board of Supervisors.

Some revenue in the district comes from tuition by out-of-district students, who each pay $600 a year to attend school within the district. The revenue from tuition amounts to about $57,250, which is equivalent to a teacher’s salary.

About 81 percent of the district’s expenditures are salaries and benefits. Shelby said that there are no cuts to wages or personnel in the budget, and raises for teachers are mandated by the state. About $500,000 will also be spent to purchase four buses and surveillance equipment for the buses.

In other business:

• Jeremy Donald was hired as band director at Loyd Star Attendance Center.

• The auditor for July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016 was changed to Cunningham CPA’s PLLC.

• The July 4 board meeting was moved to July 5 because of the Independence Day holiday.