April 18, 2018 at 4:30 PM - Bradley County Board of Education Work Session

The Finance Director, Susan Willcutt, gave a presentation for the 2018-19 budget to the Board.  She began by saying that the objective of this budget is to provide EVERY child in Bradley County Schools the best possible educational opportunities.  ALL MEANS ALL - She told them that Dr. Cash always reminds everyone of this.  The sources of revenue for this budget is local, state, and a small amount of federal revenue.  The local revenue is affected by average daily attendance and is calculated as a WFTEADA.  This number is up by about 95 students from last year.  The local revenue (33.500%) comes from property, sales, and in lieu of tax.  She told them that the sate revenue (66.400%) consist of BEP funds, career ladder funds, other state grants (CHS, Dr. Ed, Food Service, etc), Pre-K, and state revenue sharing (TVA).  Lastly, federal revenue (0.002%) through the state (ROTC).  This is the only federal funds in the general budget.   Mrs. Willcutt told them that several things affected this budget.  WFTEADA is up, growth money was received this year, and our average daily membership is up.   When you look at expenditures, 81% goes to salaries and benefits, she told the board.  19% is spread across contract services, supplies and materials, utilities, other charges, and equipment and capital outlay.  The budget highlights she gave the Board were funding step raises, a 2% across the Board raise, combining steps 1-5 for secretaries, teacher assistants, and custodians, creating appropriate pay scales for employees that were not on a scale, adjusting teacher pay scale to keep BS-0 through BS-5 equal to or above surrounding districts, covering the estimated 5% increase in health insurance premiums, 1.42% increase in legacy retirement plan, funding 2 armed guards, 6 additional special ed bus monitors, and the increase in electric and sewer.  Also, textbook budget increase of $250,000, additional new and used special ed bus, and using $2,500,000.00 of the fund balance to meet capital outlay expenses.

The balanced budget includes a STEP raise and a 2% raise.  The estimated increase for STEP raises is $510,000, 2% raise is $1,073,936, making the total salary increase of $1,583,936.00, Mrs. Willcutt told the Board. 

After some discussion by the Board, they decided that bringing bachelor and master level employees to equal or above surrounding districts.  Also, to look at the % in their fund balance.