BOARD OF EDUCATION
The Jones County Board of Education has begun its budget process for 2024 and is on track for its adoption next week.
The board met for a called meeting May 25 to go over the figures for the upcoming school year. The draft budget was presented to board members by school system CFO Tonya Merritt in the form of a PowerPoint presentation.
The estimate for property tax collections were based on last year’s tax digest. School Superintendent Chip Lundy explained this year’s digest numbers have not yet been received. He said the process to adopt the millage rate would be a separate action when that information is received.
The estimate for property tax collections for 2023 was $12,224,193. Adding in other local taxes, earnings on investments and revenues brought the total from local resources to $14,068,589.
The draft budget has a bottom-line estimate of available resources at $76,764,824. Those resources include funds from local and state revenues.
Those resources are projected to be $849,529 more than was received the previous year.
The estimated beginning fund balance for 2024 is $19,280,850, compared to $22,429,057 for the 2023 school year.
Merritt’s presentation included an increase in state revenues that is to offset a large increase in health insurance costs. She said state grants amounting to more than $700,000 were received last year but were not included in this year’s estimated revenues.
The presentation also pointed out that more than 75 percent of the school system’s revenues are received from the state.
A public hearing was held on the draft budget June 5, and another will be held at the Board of Education’s June 13 meeting at 6 p.m.
Before its adoption, board members will make the decision of a 3 percent salary increase for classified personnel. The cost of that increase would be $181,201.
Lundy said that proposal is due to a 3 percent increase that was approved by the state for contract employees.
The budget will be considered for its final adoption at the board’s June 13 meeting.
