Sarasota County School Board approves final 2024–25 budget amendment and annual financial report

The Sarasota County School Board on Tuesday approved a final budget amendment for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, and unanimously adopted the district's annual financial report after a presentation from Chief Financial Officer Gabby Juromczyk. The board voted by voice vote, with members Parker, Rose, Ziegler, Edwards and Chair Marinelli recorded as voting yes.

Juromczyk told the board the amendment aligns all funds with year-end results. "The final amendment brings all funds into alignment with year end results," she said, and summarized changes in revenue and spending. She said the general fund saw an increase of about $33,000,000 in revenues, driven primarily by higher local property taxes, state grants, interest earnings and reimbursements for hurricane shelter operations, and that appropriations rose by about $18,500,000 largely because of negotiated salary increases for classified and instructional staff.

The CFO said other adjustments include capital transfers to support bus driver salaries and benefits, changes in debt service for interest and principal, increases to food and nutrition services tied to federal and state reimbursements, and grant revisions to capture lower balances and new awards. She also told the board the final budget "maintains compliance with both statutory and board-mandated reserve requirements," and reported an assigned and unassigned fund-balance ratio of roughly 11.6 percent compared to final budgeted revenues (12.5 percent when adjusted for year activity).

Why this matters: The amendment updates adopted budget estimates to reflect actual operations for fiscal 2024–25 and confirms the district's financial position ahead of the new year. The board and staff noted outstanding items the district is still awaiting from the state that could affect future planning: a board member asked about the State Department of Education's fourth calculation, and Juromczyk said that information had not been received and the district closed the year using the Calc 3 report. "At this time, that information has not been received from the state," she said, adding the district could not yet say how it might affect next year's budget.

The board approved the final budget amendment by motion and voice vote; the same process was used to approve the annual financial report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025.

Board action and next steps: The board recorded the voice vote approving the amendment and the annual financial report. No further action on the amendment was requested at the meeting; the board will proceed with the already-announced adoption steps and with ongoing budget planning for the 2025–26 cycle as state calculations are finalized.

For context: Juromczyk framed the amendment as the usual end-of-year reconciliation that brings projected revenues and appropriations into line with actual operations. Board members asked clarifying questions about outstanding state data and the implications for next year's budget.