School board approves general-fund budget extension as safeguard against shortfalls

The school board voted unanimously to approve Resolution 752, a budget extension that raises the district’s legal spending authority for the 2024–25 general fund so the district can process August payroll and other payments if expenses exceed the original appropriation, board members were told. Krista, a district finance staff member presenting the budget status report, told the board the district’s current legal spending authority is $36,144,440 and that, through July, year-to‑date expenditures totaled about $33,304,220. With encumbrances the district is running a projected shortfall — in one scenario about $849,000 — and accruals for bills paid later could increase that gap. Why it matters: Finance staff warned that exceeding the adopted appropriation even by a small amount can trigger audit findings and violate state requirements, which in turn can…