LIBERTY — The Amite County School Board has approved an $8.54 million general operating budget for the 2016-17 school year, which began July 1.
Outgoing business manager Tommy Felter, who has left the district to take a job on the Gulf Coast where his fianceé lives, gave trustees a breakdown of the new budget at the end of June — with a mixture of good and not-so-good news — and trustees approved the budget Thursday morning.
The majority of the budget — an estimated $5.7 million from the state — comes from the Mississippi Adequate Education Program, which comprises 65 percent of daily operating revenues.
That’s the good news.
On the down side, Felter noted that because the Legislature again did not fully fund MAEP, the district will lose funding again this year.
“We’ll see a 7 percent funding reduction from the fully funded formula,” Felter told trustees. “It represents a $431,943 cut.”
Felter said the budget remains roughly the same as the previous year’s, and local ad valorem taxes will remain at 34.81 mills. However, even though millage is unchanged, tax revenues are expected to increase to $2.86 million because of increased property values. The state millage cap is 55 mills.
“Property values have risen to $90 million in the county,” Felter said. “That’s up from $84 million.”
He attributed that to new housing starts and increased tax base from the Drax Biomass plant operating in Gloster.
An estimated $125,000 in budget money will come from National Forest monies, transportation charges and fees.
Felter said the district may transfer $900,000 to the District Maintenance Fund from 16th Section monies. Those expenses will go to upgrade technology and computer lab equipment and to buy two new school buses.
Felter gave the following breakdown of expenses, with wages and benefits grabbing the biggest piece of each pie:
• $2.85 million for kindergarten, elementary and gifted and talented programs, other expenses were for classroom supplies and equipment and utilities.
• $2.52 million for high school expenses, supplies and salaries.
• $769,730 for the vocational-technical campus.
• $1.03 million budget for the transportation department, including salaries and benefits, utilities, fuel and motor oil, new buses, and repairs and parts.
• $1.34 million for the district central office and administration, business services, technology and salaries and benefits. Also included are funds for repairs and utilities, cleaning and janitorial service, insurances and supplies.
• More than $700,000 will be added to the budget for federal programs, which are not part of the general operating budget.
Felter said the district is in good financial shape and “fortunate to have 16th Section property,” that brings money from leases as well as oil revenues.
Board president Jimmy Burns and other trustees thanked Felter for his years of service and praised his watch over district finances. Felter noted that the board has never had a financial audit finding under his leadership.
Burns, a longtime board member, said, “Your successor has their work cut out.”
He also remembers extremely lean times for the district.
“It wasn’t like this 16 years ago,” Burns said. “It was tough.”
