The Shadow
Rebecca Irvine, director of business and?finance and clerk of the Covington City Public School System, announced Monday night that a preliminary budget for the 2020-2021 fiscal year is set at $12,294,736.
The amount that is set for general operations is in the amount of $11,701,625, $519,613 for the cafeteria fund and $73,498 for textbooks.
Irvine stated that state revenues were based on Governor Ralph Northam’s 2020-2022 biennial budget released in December 2019.
The state funds increased 3.5 percent based on a projected average daily membership (ADM) of 965 students.
Within the preliminary budget, federal funds decreased with a reduction of $16,000 in Title II funds, with all other revenues remaining level.
It was also reported that the city appropriation remains at $3,377,635 and the cafeteria fund will require a transfer from operations in the amount of $144,739, based on increased health care costs.
Also in the preliminary budget, Irvine said that total expenditures increased by 2.3 percent.
Included in that was a step increase for all eligible employees using the current salary scale.
The part-time guidance position at Edgemont Primary School has been increased to a full-time role.
Irvine also stated that she budgeted a 10 percent increase for health care costs to be shared between the employer and the employee.
Irvine emphasized that this was a projected figure in a preliminary budget and this was not set as a final figure.
Irvine emphasized at the end of her report that, “This budget is very, very preliminary until the final health care rates come in.”
The next budget work session in preparation for fiscal year 2020-2021 will be held Tuesday, Feb. 25, beginning at 6 p.m. at the School Board Offices.
