By Erica Thomas, managing editor
TRUSSVILLE — The Trussville City School system passed its budget for the fiscal year ending on Sept. 30, 2020.
The Board of Education passed the budget unanimously during its meeting on Monday, Aug. 19, 2019. The budget will go into effect on Oct. 1, 2019.
Total revenues will be $53,686,797.97. Total projected expenditures add up to $54, 431,801.75. Other funding sources and a beginning fund balance will balance the budget by leaving a balance of approximately $19,322,085.86 at the end of the fiscal year.
Expenditures for instructional services add up to $28,964,105.99. Instructional support services are projected to cost the system $7,080,292.73. Also included in expenditures are operations and maintenance costs, auxiliary services, general administrative services, capital outlay, debt services and other expenses.
Schools are funded a year in advance, but the system added four teacher units. The system will have to pay for those extra positions because state funding is based on the previous year.
Superintendent Dr. Pattie Neill said the system is spending what it is earning and growth is playing a factor in that spending. Neill said the system is watching the growth and staying ahead of any changes.
“What I would say to parents is, ‘Don’t worry, we’re fine,” said Neill.
Neill said every school will have empty rooms by Oct. 15.
“We have 10 new rooms and a new fine arts wing at the middle school, opening in October,” Neill said.
Neill said the school system is staying aware as subdivisions, such as Stockton, Winslow Parc and Carrington expand.
“We’ve got to keep our eye on the age of the new children that move in, that we don’t have yet,” said Neill. “We don’t know if those homes will have children that are babies or they could be in high school. We just don’t know.”
Magnolia Elementary is up by about 20 students, Paine Elementary is up by about 50 students and Hewitt-Trussville High School’s sophomore class holds the largest number of students in the system. Neill said the second-largest class is the seventh-grade class. She said since the sophomore class will be graduated by the time the current seventh-graders enter high school, she doesn’t foresee an issue.
The percentage of teachers in Trussville City Schools, with advanced degrees, is 74.66%. Teachers with TCS have an average teaching experience of 14.35 years.
The school system’s budget is available here.
