Murray School District approves budget for 2024–25 revision and adopts 2025–26 budget resolution

The Murray School District Board of Education approved a resolution June 12 adopting a revised fiscal year 2024–25 budget and the proposed fiscal year 2025–26 budget and authorized the certified tax rate to be set by the Salt Lake County auditor.

The board opened the legally required public budget hearing before taking action. A district staff member identified in the meeting as Richard told the board the district had met publication and public-notice requirements and that the budget officer is the superintendent. Richard said the district ‘‘have met all the legal requirements.’’

The presentation to the board summarized key assumptions and line items: the district reported a taxable assessed value increase of roughly $70 million compared with the prior year; a reported health insurance premium increase of 13.63%; a planned 2% cost-of-living adjustment for employee benefit packages; a legislative educator salary adjustment of $1,446 per teacher; and $1,000 bonuses for ESPs (education support professionals) who interact with students. The presenter said the district reduced four teaching positions tied to a decline in student enrollment (a reduction of 119 WPU as calculated by the State Board of Education). The presentation also noted capital projects tied to Murray High School and Riverview Junior High and that previously approved guaranteed maximum prices reduced projected project costs by about $15 million compared with earlier budget estimates.

Board members moved the resolution as presented; the motion language approved by the board authorized adoption of the revised 2024–25 budget and approval of the 2025–26 budget and ‘‘the certified tax rate necessary to fund the fiscal year 2025 through 2026 budget’’ with the certified tax rate to be set by the Salt Lake County auditor. The motion was approved by voice vote.

The district’s financial materials shown at the hearing also summarized: salaries and benefits account for roughly $0.88 of every dollar in the general fund; instruction accounts for about 64% of expenditures by function; contracted services and bond-related debt service are notable drivers of year-over-year changes; projected interest costs were shown rising from about $800,000 to about $2.3 million in the next year because of new debt service; and food-service fund balances were deliberately lowered to meet the state limit of a three-month reserve.

The board closed the budget hearing portion of the meeting after approving the resolution and moved on to its regular June meeting.