The Dickson County School Board on Oct. 23 approved a set of budget amendments that the district described as largely consisting of incoming grant awards and corresponding expenditures. Board members asked district staff for a detailed, line‑by‑line breakdown of the amended items before future budget decisions.

The amendments — described by district staff as revenue‑in/expenditure‑out items with a net zero impact on funds — were moved and approved during the finance section of the meeting. "These are the ones that we discussed at the planning session. These are mostly grants, so it's in and out money," said Miss Underhill, the district finance staff member who presented the reports. A motion to approve the amendments was made and carried.

Why it matters: Board members said they need clearer detail to track recurring grant funding and to plan future budgets. Several members asked for a worksheet showing how specific grant revenues and associated expenditures are composed so the board can understand which items are carryovers and which are newly awarded.

Supporting details: Miss Underhill told the board she had included $250,000 in anticipated revenue for an ISM grant but that the district actually received a carryover of about $1,100,000 from the prior year. She said portions of some grants reimburse portions of salaries (for example, 100% in a first year, 75% in the second year, and 50% in later years) and that some amended line items therefore reflect timing and carryover rather than new net spending.

Board member Valerie (last name not specified in the record) pressed for a written breakdown: "I think it would be helpful if we at least got a breakdown of how that's made up for future budgeting purposes," she said. Finance staff agreed to provide the requested detail.

What the board approved: The board approved the monthly financial reports, quarterly reports for the first quarter (July–September), and the set of budget amendments (identified in staff materials as amendment codes 141, 142 and 177). Staff said the amendments include grant awards and some donations, and that the net effect on fund balances is zero.

Next steps: Finance staff committed to preparing a more detailed worksheet that itemizes the amendments and clarifies which line items are carryover, which are new grant awards and which reimburse salary costs. That worksheet will be provided to the board for future planning.

Ending note: The board’s approval authorizes staff to forward the amended budget items to the county commission as required for final action on items that affect county budget processes.