Marion County Schools reports third-quarter referendum revenues, program spending and safety investments

Marion County Public Schools presented its third-quarter report on the voter-approved one-mill referendum to the ICRCOT Committee, reporting $199,000,000 collected through the 2023–24 fiscal year and a combined revenue figure of $236,200,000 when the 2024–25 budget is included.

The presentation, given by the district’s finance lead and program coordinators, outlined how referendum funds are being used across physical education, kindergarten paraprofessionals, vocational (CTE) pathways, library/media services, visual and performing arts, professional learning and school safety. The district also described safety technology purchases and ongoing legal and operational questions around bus stop enforcement cameras.

The referendum funds support recurring salaries and benefits and program-level purchases; presenters emphasized that unspent money rolls forward in the referendum fund rather than being redistributed automatically to programs. “This is cumulative, but this particular worksheet provides you a summary of all the funds that have been collected and spent,” the district finance presenter said, describing the July-through-March (third-quarter) reporting period.

Why it matters: the referendum provides a dedicated local funding stream for activities the district said state or federal dollars do not fully cover (for example, certain safety equipment, paraprofessionals and program specialists). The report shows how those local dollars are being allocated and what remains in fund balance heading into the next fiscal year.

Key figures and program details - Revenue and expenditures: presenters reported $199,000,000 collected through 2023–24 and a total revenue figure of $236,200,000 when including 2024–25…