Monday, the Poplarville School District held its annual public hearing regarding their annual operating budget for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2016.
Poplarville School District’s Director of Finance Samantha Sandifer, presented a slideshow of this fiscal year’s revenues and expenditures.
Before the discussion, Superintendent Carl Merritt commended Sandifer for her hard work to ensure the money is put into the right places for the needs of the children and teachers.
Sandifer told attendees that the amounts budgeted will vary depending on what money actually comes in.
The first combined budget was the revenue, which included funds to be received from local, state, federal levels and a 16th section permanent trust fund. The total estimated revenue for the upcoming fiscal year is $18,240,304.
Next, Sandifer discussed the combined expenditures budget, which include instruction, support, non-instructional, 16th section, construction and debt service. The total estimated expenditures for the upcoming fiscal year is $19,076,253.
Sandifer also gave examples of major sources of revenue for the district. On a local level, the district receives a portion of ad valorem taxes. State funding is derived from the Mississippi Adequate Education program. Examples of federal sources include Title I, Child Nutrition Cluster, Special Education and E-rate. The 16th section sources include timber sales and hunting and fishing leases, Sandifer said.
Sandifer also included a budgeted dollar amount for each expenditure.
For instructional services, $10,281,034 is budgeted, while $950, 263 is set aside for student support services and $1,177,924 is budgeted for instructional staff services.
The general administration budget is $555,364. The budget includes $1,176,118 for school administration, $317,891 for business services and $2,087,308 for district operation and maintenance.
There is $1,144,942 budgeted for transportation services, $49,010 for central support services and $1,103,377 for non-instructional services.
The 16th section budget is $46,000, with $21,169 for construction and $165,852 for debt service.
This fiscal year’s major budgetary items include textbooks and Chromebooks for the high school, middle school and upper and lower elementary, Sandifer said. Funds were budgeted to conduct renovations to principal offices at the high school and lower elementary along with the gym, which will provide more handicapped parking for sporting events, she said.
Another budgetary item for the upper elementary is a gifted teacher and window replacements along with a teacher, band assistant and band equipment for the middle and high schools.
The two districtwide items include the purchase of a new special education bus and a fire alarm system, Sandifer said.
Total millage for the school district for the 2015-2016 year is 57. The total mills requested is 60. Three of the mills are dedicated to paying off a 15-year note, Sandifer said.
The estimated monthly cost to taxpayers is about $60 a month, for a homeowner living in a home assessed at about $100,000.