Limestone County Board approves fiscal 2025 budget amendment, authorizes large capital allocation

The Limestone County Board of Education on an anonymous unanimous vote approved a fiscal year 2025 budget amendment that the superintendent said increases the district's general fund and its capital projects budget to reflect newly approved grants and carryover federal funds.

The amendment was introduced by board member Miss Fuqua and, after a short explanation from the superintendent, was approved without recorded dissent.

The superintendent told the board, "Every year, we have to do an amendment before the end of the fiscal year. In that amendment, we have to go back, and we have to add any of the additional grants that the state gives us, and then we have to add those expenditures." She said the general fund would increase by $3,000,000 and that the capital projects fund would increase by $13,800,000 to reflect an approved application. She also said the district must add federal carryover in its special revenue fund and that a Lieutenant Governor's grant had been added to capital projects.

The superintendent described the timing and purpose: "What happens is we get the revenue now, we spend it next fiscal year." She said some of the capital projects reflected in the amendment include architect fees and paving and renovation projects at Ardmore and Elkmont and earlier work at Tanner High and Tanner Elementary.

Board members asked procedural and timing questions. A board member asked whether the additional technology funding included in the amendment was new money; the superintendent replied that advancement-in-technology money is additional revenue that will appear in FY25 and be spent in FY26. The superintendent also said the application for the large capital allocation had been approved and that the money was expected before the end of the fiscal year.

The motion to approve the amendment passed unanimously.

Clarifying details recorded in the meeting packet and stated aloud by the superintendent included: an increase to the general fund of $3,000,000; a capital projects fund increase described in the superintendent's remarks as $13,800,000 (a board member later referenced $15,000,000 during the vote, and the transcript does not resolve that discrepancy); federal funds carryover added to the special revenue fund; and a Lieutenant Governor's grant added to capital projects. The superintendent also said the district's audited FY24 ending balances are carried into FY25 as beginning balances and must be adjusted in the FY25 budget documents.

The board did not take public comment on the amendment during the discussion. The superintendent emphasized that the amendment is an annual procedural requirement to reflect grants and carryover and to budget projects the district has already begun planning or for which the state has approved funding.

The board adjourned after approving the amendment.