With a new fiscal year a couple of months away, the Sampson County Board of Education is set to approve a budget amendment for the 2018-2019 school year.
Cyndi Mesimer, assistance finance officer the district, presented a revision that school leaders were dreading with a change of about $400,000. For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2018 and ending June 30, 2019, the budget totals $85.29 million.
Mesimer and Board Chair Tim Register noted that the change was due to a decrease of student enrollment, Hurricane Florence and the district having to send the money back to the state.
The total includes state public school funding, at $57 million, and the local current expense, at $12.3 million. Federal funds total $6.44 million, while capital outlay is $3.4 million. Child nutrition is $5.9 million.
In state public school funding, the amount given for regular teachers and the average daily attendance of students is $25.13 million. Mesimer reported that the district was down more than $268,000, which resulted in a loss of a few teaching positions.
Non-instructional support, which now totals $2.19 million, was down by more than $19,000 and instructional support, totaling $2.86 million, decreased by $77,500.
Losses were also reported for Career and Technical Education program support; teacher assistants; classroom supplies and equipment.
“We are still hopeful that this could change, but so far it has not,” Mesimer said.
For accounting purposes, Mesimer reported that district officials are still waiting from state officials to learn about new software vendors for a new modern system. The switch from the current vendor would save the district money.
Non-contributory benefits was mentioned as $268,411 to help cover the state reversions. It was also mentioned that $17,453 in grants was also budgeted. As of now, the fund balance appropriated is more than $296,000, among other totals. Mesimer said they will not know until the end of May or the first of June about saving money from the fund balance.
Register said the information was covered with the finance committee before the previous work session. He reported that school officials were hoping to get some relief from state lawmakers because of Hurricane Florence.
“There was some talk that the counties that had been declared disaster areas under the hurricane would not have to do the reversions,” he said. “We’re still holding out hope that we might get some relief.”
(Chase Jordan | Sampson Independent)