The Alabama State Department of Education presented its proposed FY24 departmental operating budget at the board work session, focusing on state‑funded operations carried in the O&M appropriation.

Department finance staff said the FY24 submission is largely consistent with prior years but includes modest increases tied to personnel and specific program expansions. The state legislature approved a 2% pay raise that is reflected in salary and benefits. The department’s operating request shows growth in personnel units and in grants and benefits: the O&M grants line previously shown as $3,000,000 is budgeted at $5,000,000 in FY24 to align appropriation language and to maintain a fund the department uses for district emergency capital needs (for example, building repairs after fires or floods).

Finance staff noted several drivers of change: a planned increase in units supporting the Office of Math Improvement (from about 10.5 units to 23 units), modest rises in contracted services (information systems, state accounting and legal/audit services), and an anticipated state real property rent adjustment that the state real property office has said will increase rates; the exact rate was not finalized at the time of the presentation. The department also described federal program unit changes (Title I and ESSER/other) that fluctuate year to year and said some of the federal program personnel are temporary.

Board members asked for a more detailed breakdown of personnel costs by classification, and the department agreed to provide a personnel and expense breakdown ahead of the next work session. The department reported year‑to‑date spending at about 62%–64% of budget at the end of the ninth month of FY23 and described the FY24 operating budget as fiscally sound. Several board members separately praised the increased investment in math supports through the Office of Math Improvement.