The Bossier Parish School Board Finance Committee approved the proposed original 2025–26 budget and adopted changes to payroll timing guidelines at its finance committee meeting. The committee also approved the back-to-school payment date change and the thirteenth-check guideline and reviewed March 2025 financial statements for discussion only.

Finance staff presented the proposed all-funds 2025–26 budget, noting projected increases and key assumptions. The presentation included a projected 8% increase in local revenues driven largely by higher interest income, an increased estimate for facility rental income after stronger recent bookings, and more predictable Medicaid reimbursements following prior multi-year settlements. The presenter budgeted $5,000,000 for a state supplement subject to legislative approval and said federal flood-control reimbursements were reduced in the estimate because those amounts are unpredictable from year to year.

The committee approved the budget after a motion by Mr. Bullard, committee member, and a second by Mr. Faulding, committee member. The motion was recorded as passing unanimously; individual roll-call votes were not read into the record. The finance staff estimated a net increase in the general fund of $220,000 for the year, with an estimated ending general-fund balance of $64,900,000, equal to 22.68 percent of the fund. The presenter said roughly 80 percent of general-fund expenditures are salaries and benefits and that updated salary schedules approved by the board were incorporated into the proposal.

Committee members questioned several revenue items. Committee member Mr. Bullard asked about changes in earnings on funds and was told the finance office had implemented changes to increase earnings. A committee member asked for an explanation of increased rental income; finance staff said facility rentals were higher than previously budgeted (actual facility rental receipts rose to $139,000 in 2024 from a conservative $45,000 budgeted for 2025) and that improved tracking and billing had helped capture more rental revenue.

On Medicaid reimbursements, finance staff said the large $2,500,000 figure recorded in 2024 represented multiple years of reimbursements combined for several service categories (nursing, therapy, behavioral health, and transportation) and that reimbursement flows have since evened out, allowing a more consistent annual estimate.

The committee approved a change to the back-to-school check guidelines to move the payment date to Aug. 25 in order to reduce payment errors caused by late hires and new direct-deposit processes; the motion was made by Miss Smith, committee member, and seconded by Miss Brotherton, committee member. The committee also approved the thirteenth-check guideline with the same timing as prior years (the thirteenth check is scheduled for Nov. 21, 2025); that motion was made by Mr. Fauci, committee member, and seconded by Mr. Bertrand, committee member. Both motions were recorded as passing.

The March 2025 financial statements were presented for review and discussion only; finance staff said a more in-depth review would occur at the next finance committee meeting. No formal action was taken on the March statements.

Items requiring follow-up include a possible budget amendment if the Louisiana legislature does not approve the state supplement as budgeted and continued tracking of facility rental revenues. Finance staff asked committee members to submit any detailed questions about specific funds in advance to allow deeper review at future meetings.

If there are no other comments, the finance committee adjourned its work for the day.