Pike County BOE offers proposed budget
Published 3:00 am Thursday, September 11, 2014
The Pike County Board of Education held a public hearing Wednesday morning to discuss revenues and expenditures for its FY15 budget and to hear concerns and recommendations from the public.
The proposed FY15 budget reflects $23.7 million in revenues and other financial sources and expenditures of $22.7 million.
Dr. Mark Bazzell, superintendent of Pike County Schools, said the FY15 budget is a good budget and a responsible one.
“The key thing is that we ended FY14 right where we wanted to be,” Bazzell said. “I have confidence that the FY15 budget year will end where we want it to be.”
Jennifer Hornsby, CSFO, said the board of education’s proposed budget is a basic nuts and bolts one, with no fluff.
“The budget includes no major capital projects,” Hornsby said. “The board had saved for several major capital projects and those have been completed. Now, the board will begin to save again for future capital projects.”
The school system lost state funding for four teacher units and those will be picked up with local funding.
The budget will also reflect a decrease in funding for federal programs.
Hornsby said the total decrease in federal funding would be $100,000. Title I, the primary federally funded program, received $61,500. Title II, which funds mandatory teacher training, received $36,700.
Hornsby said the decrease in federal funding would require a cut in expenditures, primarily in equipment and supplies and possibly in some services.
The FY15 budget sets funding for 295 employees, including 149 teachers.
A second public hearing regarding the budget will be held at 5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 15 at the Pike County Board of Education office in Troy. Following the public hearing, the board will vote.