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Franklin County School Board approves FY 2026 budget request, will ask supervisors for roughly $4.5 million
Summary
After a public hearing and discussion of declining enrollment and rising costs, the Franklin County School Board voted to submit its FY 2026 budget priorities — including phase 3 of a compensation plan — to the Board of Supervisors with an approximate $4.5 million local ask.
The Franklin County School Board voted Monday to submit its proposed FY 2026 budget priorities to the Franklin County Board of Supervisors, authorizing a local funding request of about $4.5 million to supplement projected state revenues.
The public hearing and budget presentation, led by CFO/HR presenter Sharon Tuttle and Superintendent Dr. Sears, laid out the district’s financial position: enrollment is declining and the FY 2026 planning enrollment is 5,704 students. The division reported 1,008 students currently recorded as homeschooled; at the state’s per‑student amount cited in the presentation ($6,797), that level of out‑of‑division enrollment represents a lost state revenue estimate of $6,851,376 for FY 2026.
Board members said the most urgent priority is phase 3 of a multi‑year compensation plan. The draft budget submitted to the board includes $3.5 million for phase 3 of the compensation study, $368,000 to raise pay grades for hard‑to‑fill positions, and a proposed capital improvement plan that lists projects such as repaving the driver’s‑education range, the SunTag Elementary car rider line improvements, bus replacement, and HVAC and flooring work. The presentation also noted a projected net increase in state funding of about $1.4 million pending the governor’s signature on the state budget; the board’s full set of priorities increases the local ask to roughly $4.5 million depending on final carryover figures and county action.
During the hearing, a public commenter, Keith Johnson, urged the board to address reasons that parents are leaving the public system and warned that voucher programs elsewhere have shifted enrollment and funding. The board acknowledged the concerns and said the budget request was aimed at retention and instructional priorities, including reading initiatives the division has recently launched.
Board members asked questions about how the budget handles the state’s proposed one‑time teacher/support staff bonuses and whether the division would seek a county appropriation to fund bonuses for all employees. Tuttle said the budget as presented does not include a county‑funded bonus; matching the state’s $1,000 bonus for all employees would require roughly $660,000 in additional local funds.
The board approved a motion to send the FY 2026 budget request with the listed priorities to the Board of Supervisors, after removing a $300,000 general‑fund item and moving it into the CIP. The board’s presentation to the Board of Supervisors was scheduled for Tuesday, March 11, at the Board of Supervisors’ regular meeting (the school delegation’s presentation time was listed at approximately 3:00 p.m.).
