District leaders presented a first draft of the Washington County operating budget and told the board the plan shows a gap of about $7.2 million between projected revenues and planned expenditures.

Superintendent Boyd and finance staff outlined budget priorities — increases to staff pay (including a state-mandated minimum $50,000 starting teacher salary timeline), maintaining classroom supports and continuing investments in student social-emotional services. The presentation included detailed cost drivers: a minimum personnel increase estimated at roughly $2.355 million to meet salary-step and baseline increases; an estimated health-care cost increase (budgeted conservatively) approaching roughly $500,000; and ongoing hourly-wage raises and bus-route adjustments proposed as part of the draft.

Officials told the board the school nutrition fund is under particular pressure. The district projects using several hundred thousand dollars of nutrition fund balance this year and a larger draw next year; staff proposed maintaining a minimum nutrition fund balance target of $1,000,000 to preserve cash flow. The presentation noted June disbursements are large and recommended keeping at least two months of operating expenses available in reserve for payroll and cash-flow needs.

Finance staff said the district expects only modest state revenue gains because the district’s average daily membership (ADM) and certain weighted student counts have declined; that reduces state-weighted funding even where per-student base funding rose. Officials recommended using one-time outcome-based funds to return midyear allocations to schools, rather than making recurring programmatic commitments from those funds.

Board members pressed staff on several points: the cost and timing of flooring and boiler projects at David Crockett High School, the status of steel and gas-line estimates for campus work, and the timetable for health/safety capital reviews by the state fire marshal. Several board members urged the district to press the county commission for additional local-option sales tax support or other transfers to help close the budget gap.

The presentation set next steps: staff will refine revenue projections with trustee data, provide side-by-side salary schedule comparisons showing current versus proposed pay, and convene a special called meeting to review an updated draft. Board members agreed to a special called meeting on April 15 at 6:00 p.m. to continue budget discussions.