Board approves 2024–25 first budget amendment; general fund projections updated

The Woodhaven-Brownstown School District Board of Education on Jan. 14 approved the first amendment to the 2024–25 budget after a presentation by a business-office representative that outlined revenue and expenditure changes, grant carryovers and adjustments to projected fund balances.

The budget amendment adjusts the general fund and other fund lines to reflect carryover grant revenues, increased special-education reimbursements, a modest rise in local property-value revenues, and changes to pension liability calculations. The district projects total general-fund revenues of about $84.9 million (an increase of roughly $5.0 million from the preliminary budget) and total expenditures of about $89.4 million (about $4.5 million above the preliminary budget). The presentation projected a June 30 audited fund balance of approximately $13.8 million, or roughly 15.45% of expenditures; excluding state-restricted and federal funds the projected unrestricted fund balance was given as about 17.74%.

Business-office staff said the increase in grant revenue (projected at roughly $14.9 million) is driven in part by carryover from unspent grants and reimbursements, including special-education reimbursements and Medicaid billing that can be received one to two years in arrears. The presenter also called out an expected special-education reimbursement of at least about $300,000 arriving next month, a mental-health allocation that rose during recent state guidance to $600,000 for the year and a possible one-time increase to the district hard-cap for medical insurance that—if enacted and effective—could add approximately $192,000 in health-care costs (timing and enactment uncertain).

The board voted to approve the amendment and adopt supporting resolutions. Board members thanked the business office for tracking the rapid state-level changes and for preparing the update; the motion to approve the amendment carried on a voice vote.