The Carteret County Public Schools Board of Education on June 30 approved a final budget amendment to close out the current fiscal year and voted to operate under a continuing resolution for the 2025-26 school year until a formal budget is adopted.

Julie Bernowski, a district finance staff member, presented the amendment and said the closeout was “very smooth” overall but complicated by a statewide technology problem with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s systems. “Our software system is not talking to their software system,” Bernowski said, adding the district worked with other districts and staff to reconcile reports to DPI.

The amendment reallocates funds across the state, local, federal, capital, child nutrition and Fund 8 (special revenue) budgets. Bernowski said the state-budget adjustments include guaranteed allotments for longevity pay, substitute pay while employees are on parental leave and a supplemental payment for teachers classified as highly qualified. She also noted an extra $2,700 in exceptional children (EC) funds for the district’s preschool center and gave an example of a $2,000 reallocation from part-time salary savings to cover an overage in a director salary line.

Bernowski described local-budget changes as realignments of purpose codes to ensure no budget lines end the year with deficits. She identified specific items included in the amendment: a lead-abatement project at Atlantic School to allow a prekindergarten classroom to open, pre-K teacher assistant salaries that exceed the state allotment, two new capital repair-and-renovation projects, and reallocation within the child nutrition budget after the district chose not to charge indirect costs against child nutrition this year.

After Bernowski’s presentation, the board approved the budget amendment by voice vote. Board member Chadwick moved to approve the amendment; the motion was seconded by Mr. White and carried with the board responding, “All in favor.”

Bernowski also told the board the district does not yet have a formal budget resolution for the 2025-26 school year and recommended a continuing resolution so operations can proceed. “We will continue to maintain operations based on this year's budget until a budget resolution comes your way,” she said, adding staff hoped to present a resolution in August but could not guarantee that timing.

The board adopted the continuing resolution by voice vote; Chadwick moved and White seconded the motion. The meeting recorded routine approvals earlier, including an amended agenda and a consent agenda, both adopted by voice votes.

The meeting included recognition of the East Carteret High School baseball team for completing an undefeated season, and concluded with a motion to convene a closed session to discuss a confidential student matter under state statute. No substantive details from the closed session were discussed on the public record.

What happened: the board moved year-end accounting adjustments across multiple funds to avoid budgetary violations, authorized use of incoming EC and other revenues for the stated purposes, and approved a short-term continuing resolution to allow district operations to continue until a 2025-26 budget is adopted.