The Williamson County Schools Board of Education unanimously approved three budget amendments Monday to align the district’s operating and auxiliary funds with spending decisions made earlier by the Williamson County Commission.

Board Chair told the board the county commission “amended the county budget, and also our budget as a result of that to reduce the insurance expense by $500 per full time equivalent,” and the board moved to adjust the district’s general fund, central cafeteria fund and extended-school program accordingly.

The action reduced the district’s general purpose school fund projection from $565,306,007.97 to $562,612,007.97. The central cafeteria budget was lowered from $20,827,302 to $20,749,302. The extended school program was reduced from $8,077,174 to $8,045,674. Each amendment passed on a 9-0 voice vote; Dr. Reeves voted yes when called for the roll.

Why it matters: board and staff said the county’s floor votes and revised revenue assumptions created a one-time balancing effect that closes the current-year gap but will reduce the district’s available fund balance going into next year. Board and finance staff warned the changes are largely a one-year fix and will likely require further discussion about recurring funding.

District staff summarized how the county’s decisions changed the district’s fiscal picture. Mr. Golden, a district staff member who briefed the board, said the county approved additional pay increases for the sheriff’s office and for some county government employees after debate on the commission floor — moves Mr. Golden called “unprecedented in my experience in 20 years of budgets.” He also noted the county changed its property-tax receipt assumption for budgeting from 92% to 94% on the school side, which raised the district’s revenue projection by roughly $12.5 million.

Staff also reported offsetting shifts: a projected $1.6 million decline in sales tax receipts and an increase of about $1.2 million in state funding estimates from the May estimate, leaving net revenue movements that, together with a roughly $2.694 million reduction in medical insurance expense, produced a balanced budget in the current projection with a reported surplus of about $1.8 million.

Finance staff (Rachel Farmer) told the board the district’s projected fund balance today is about $66 million, and the board must retain a 3% reserve (roughly $16–17 million). That leaves about $50 million rolling from the current fiscal year into the next; staff warned the amount available to carry forward likely will be substantially less next year under the new assumptions. A staff member noted that “it’s a one-year fix” and cautioned that relying on one-time fund balance to cover recurring operating costs is not sustainable.

Several board members pressed staff on the distributional effects. One board member said the county’s vote left Williamson County Schools distinct from county employees — noting county government pay increases approved on the floor did not include the district because of the district’s separate pay structure and its obligation to bargain with its teacher association. Board members expressed concern about equity between teacher pay and county employee pay, and about the risk of starting next year with a deficit; one board member warned the district could “start off $5,000,000 in the hole, essentially,” if one-time revenues are not replaced.

The board approved the three amendments in succession: the general fund amendment (vote 9–0), the central cafeteria amendment (vote 9–0) and the extended-school program amendment (vote 9–0). Board members said they intend to continue discussions with county officials about longer-term funding and the ramifications of the commission’s floor votes.

The meeting concluded after the three amendments were approved.