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Board approves tentative FY2026 budget, accepts grants and hires auditors; raises for staff remain central
Summary
Nelson County’s board approved a tentative 2026 budget that incorporates recent salary-schedule increases and potential benefit changes; members also accepted three grants including a $70,000 Kentucky numeracy award and approved an audit engagement with Patrick and Associates.
The Nelson County Board of Education on May 20 approved a tentative fiscal‑year 2026 budget that builds in staff pay increases and maintains priorities for personnel, operational efficiencies and competitive grant funding.
Alex Martin and district finance staff outlined the budget’s major assumptions: a $1,000 salary‑schedule increase at every step for certified staff, a $0.50 hourly increase for hourly employees, and an extension of the top experience step to step 30 so long‑tenured employees continue to advance. Martin said the district has invested in salaries over the past seven years and acknowledged the budget still contains unknowns — chiefly final property assessments, the tax rate and the district’s ending balance after June 30 — that will be resolved before the working budget is adopted in September.
Martin and finance staff noted the district’s general fund balance had grown in recent years to about $8.08 million but is expected to dip once ESSER federal funds are exhausted and one‑time items are absorbed. The board voted to permit schools to carry forward Section 6 allocations, a practice the district has allowed in recent years to help schools plan for larger purchases.
The board also accepted three recently awarded grants that will be added to the budget: a summer boost reading and math award that will provide physical books and parent engagement resources distributed through summer feeding programs; an AED (automated external defibrillator) award allowing purchase of at least 19 AED units (the district reported negotiating additional donated equipment); and a Kentucky Numeracy Counts grant for $70,000 to support K–3 math curriculum and professional development.
Finance staff emphasized the tentative budget includes projections for parental‑leave and other benefits that remain under refinement. The board discussed an Amazon account program that provides $500 per teacher for classroom purchases; staff confirmed the program remains in the budget.
The board also approved the annual audit engagement with Patrick and Associates. Board members praised the firm’s work and the motion to renew the contract passed without opposition.
Motions to accept the grants, approve the tentative budget and authorize the audit engagement all passed during the meeting. District staff will return to the board with the working budget after final revenue figures and staffing allocations are confirmed.
