LIBERTY — A tax increase of nearly 2 mills won’t be enough to plug a $600,000 hole in the Amite County School District’s proposed $10 million 2019-20 operating budget, trustees learned Thursday.
Business manager Lyndsey Thornton Latham presented the proposed budget, which takes effect Monday, to the board during a public hearing Thursday evening. The board will vote on the spending plan in a special meeting 10 a.m. July 8.
According to a draft of the budget, the district took in $3,374,323 from its current 30.43-mill tax rate. Latham said the district will seek an additional 4% from property taxes, which works out to $134,973, bringing projected property tax revenue to $3,509,297 based on 32.39 mills.
“This is our tentative request,” she said.
The state caps school district millage at 55, and districts are required to operate at a minimum of 28 mills. Over the 2017-18 fiscal year, the district operated at a millage rate of 29.58.
The county board of supervisors will determine the millage rate necessary to meet the figure requested by the school district.
Funding from the Mississippi Adequate Education program comes to $5,037,373, which is $436,305 less than the current budget.
The proposed budget includes a $1.2 million transfer from 16th Section interest revenues. That money will go to the purchase of two school buses, new furniture and desks, technology equipment and to cover a shortfall in MAEP funds.
In producing figures for the district maintenance portion of the general fund, which is supported by state and local revenues, Latham did not give a breakdown of federal funding that goes into the district’s budget, which overall is millions more.
Total expenditures are expected to be $10.6 million, which $601,987.39 more than revenues. The district plans to transfer $849,123 from cash reserves to cover the deficit.
Salaries and benefits make up the largest share of expenses at $6.4 million (61%).
The board also has budgeted $194,150 for professional services, $557,150 for repairs and maintenance, $420,110 for supplies, $313,015 for equipment and $198,564 for other expenses such as insurance, travel, printing and postage.
Also factored in expenses are $2.4 million in fund transfers to pay for services for special needs and at-risk students, vocational training, athletics and other needs.
In a special meeting before the budget hearing, trustees:
• Hired high school teacher John Crosby, elementary school teacher Keyanna Wallace, career technical counselor Tonya Bates, career technical center business management instructor Cynthia Whittington Slay, health science instructor YaChemia Dixon and district employee Joycelyn Minor.
• Approved federal IDEA special education supplements for the 2019-20 school year.
• Approved handbooks for students and faculty at the elementary school, high school and alternative school for the 2019-20 school year.
