Cullman County Schools holds first public hearing on fiscal 2026 budget

Cullman County Schools held its first public hearing on the fiscal 2026 budget at a school board meeting, during which district finance staff outlined projected revenues, state program increases and planned uses for local and supplemental funds.

District finance staff said the district’s average daily membership fell compared with last year, reducing the state-funded unit allocation, while new state program funding and local revenue increases drove an overall rise in budgeted revenues.

The hearing, described by the presenter as “the first budget hearing for the FY26 budget,” covered five fund types that determine the district’s funding mix. “The law requires us to have two public hearings every year and present it to the board so that they can review it and to the public,” the presenter said. The presenter explained that the district’s state funding is primarily determined by average daily membership (ADM) and the number of units the district earns from the state.

Staff reported an ADM decline of about 4.8 from the prior year and said total state-funded units fell about 3.6. The presenter said teacher…