Marion County School District officials are still fine tuning the budget for the 2018-19 fiscal year, but a public hearing last week showed what the predicted numbers are.
“It’s been difficult this year,” Business Manager Donna Martin said. “We’re presenting what we think it is going to be. It will be fine tuned by the next board meeting.”
Martin highlighted several items in the 2019 budget including an increase in MAEP funding of $222,172. The district has also paid off 20 year notes from 1998 construction with totaled $492,637. A 16th Section land note (money borrowed from 16th Section Land funds) of $28,496 was also paid off. The district is also purchasing 10 new school buses, funds for which will be borrowed from 16th Section Land funds. The first note on the $789,000 loan will be due on June 30, 2019.
Martin’s report featured a variety of numbers that give a glimpse into the Marion County School District as a whole. One chart compared FY 2017 enrollment against FY 2018 enrollment and showed a decrease from 2,083 students to 2,038.
The individual school enrollments were as follows:
FY 2017 FY 2018
East Marion Elementary 444 420
East Marion High School 312 307
West Marion Primary 424 405
West Marion Elementary 304 311
West Marion High School 599 585
The Carl Loftin Career and Technical Center serves students from all schools in Marion County and home schooled students and averages more than 400 students each year.
Projected revenue for FY 2019 is $22,607,734, an increase of $354,986.69, due in part to the increase in MAEP funding. Expenditures are projected at $23,512,097, which is down from $23,772,479.
Local sources comprise 24.54 percent of the revenue, state sources make up 55.13 percent, federal sources 18.48 percent and 16th Section sources, 1.84 percent. In the budget, 49.35 percent goes toward instruction and 39.05 to support services. Only 7.51 percent goes toward non-instructional services and 3.44 percent of the budget is sued for debt service.
Martin also pointed out that since 2009, the district has been MAEP under funded by $12,934,470, or an average of more than $1 million per year.
Currently, operation millage is set at 50.99 mills with 2.18 for debt service and 3.20 for vocational for a total of 56.37 mills.
“We’re asking for the same amount this year,” Martin said of the millage. “Nothing has changed.”
The hearing concluded after about 10 minutes and led into a regular meeting of the board, where it:
• Approved 17 fundraisers from various schools.
• Approved the reading of several school board policies.
• Approved the East Marion and West Marion junior high and high school football schedules.
• Approved purchasing Zaner Bloser handwriting text books for $14,787.85 from School Book Supply Company of Mississippi.
• Approved property insurance for FY 2019.
• Approved the resignation of Regina Whalum from East Marion Elementary School’s Save the Children program.
• Approved the hirings of Neva Odom, a special education and gifted teacher; John Oglesby, engineering instructor; Shaquita Averett, family and consumer science teacher at East Marion High School and Brandi Fayard, an elementary teacher.
• Approved posting invitations to bid on several 16th Section properties.
• Approved several 16th Section lease assignments.
