Mercer County board reviews working budget, site allocations and recommends sale of two buses; vote results not recorded

The Mercer County Board of Education on Tuesday reviewed the district's early-year financials and heard motions on final site-based allocations and the recommended sale of two surplus buses, though the meeting transcript does not record vote tallies or final outcomes.

District financial materials showed year-to-date revenue for August of $10,600,000, a roughly 1% decrease from the prior fiscal year, against a budgeted annual revenue figure presented as $30,960,000 for the year. Separately, the board reviewed a draft working general-fund budget that lists total revenue of $32,400,000, receipts budgeted at $23,700,000 (including a beginning balance of $8,750,000) and expenses budgeted at $26,900,000. The working budget as presented includes a contingency of 20.5%.

Why it matters: the working budget and site allocations shape staffing and program funding for the school year. The board's materials noted an increase of about $724,000 in budgeted revenue compared with the tentative budget approved in May and a $450,000 increase in budgeted expenses. Staff said the contingency is larger than in the…