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Haywood County Schools propose FY 2025-26 budget that uses fund balance to maintain programs
Summary
Superintendent Trevor Putnam and CFO Leanna Moody presented the proposed Haywood County Schools FY 2025-26 budget to the county board: the plan assumes state/local funding changes, uses roughly $719,484 of fund balance, includes proposed salary increases, and requests $1.25 million in capital outlay.
Haywood County Schools leaders presented the school system'recommended budget for fiscal year 2025-26 to the Haywood County Board of Commissioners on April 7, describing assumptions and trade-offs needed to maintain programming amid declining enrollment and the end of federal ESSER funds.
Superintendent Trevor Putnam said the budget prioritizes recruiting and retaining employees, limiting new local expense items and adjusting for the loss of one-time federal ESSER funding. The district is budgeting for 6,370 students (plus 686 charter students) and anticipates a county per-pupil appropriation of $2,591.43.
CFO Leanna Moody described budget assumptions: 5% salary increase for certified personnel, 3% for noncertified, employer retirement and FICA employer matches and an employer hospitalization estimate. Moody said ESSER 3 funding ended Sept. 2024 (Haywood'wide ESSER 3 total allocated earlier at $15.7 million) and the district had a 117-student enrollment decline that will reduce formula allocations; Moody said the net local appropriation increase is about 1.81% over the prior year because per-pupil increases are offset by fewer students.
The recommended county-funded local current expense budget anticipates using $719,483.75 from fund balance (the same appropriation as the prior year) to balance revenues and expenses; Moody said the district kept that fund balance appropriation steady to better observe the net impact of ESSER and other grant rolloffs. The proposed capital outlay budget totals $1.25 million and includes roofing, HVAC and paving projects across multiple schools and a $350,000 recurring cycle for student device replacement.
Putnam emphasized that the district remains academically strong—he cited high statewide rankings for test results and the number of rigorous courses offered—and said the budget includes 14 additional positions that enable AP/honors offerings at Tuscola and Pisgah high schools. Commissioners and district staff discussed lottery funds and clarified that approximately $600,000 in annual state lottery proceeds are restricted to capital projects, not personnel.
Ending: The school budget presentation will be part of the county'school budget discussions; commissioners thanked district leaders and noted the effect of recent storms and school closures on enrollment and instruction time.
