Board hears tentative finances, cybersecurity purchases tied to FCC pilot and after‑school grant update

District finance staff told the Coffee County Board of Education on July 24 that the financial close for fiscal year 2025 is still in progress and the report was tentative. The staff estimate, provided at the meeting, projected approximately $2,500,000 would be added to general fund equity once all closing entries are posted.

The staff member said June revenue totaled $892,424.59 and noted that both revenues and expenditures were higher than originally budgeted; the net estimate at the time of the meeting was about $2.5 million into fund equity.

On technology, district staff described two related cybersecurity purchases: a firewall-protection bundle (including firewall subscriptions and premium support) and penetration-testing services. Technology staff member Logan said Coffee County is one of 25 school districts in the state with an award from an FCC cyber pilot program that can provide up to $300,000 over three years toward eligible cybersecurity projects.

Logan recommended purchasing an enterprise firewall and subscriptions through a vendor the district has used. He said an expected subscription price would be about $1,700 per year under the preferred procurement route, with a contingency alternative of about $2,200 per year if pricing changes. On penetration testing, Logan said vendor quotes vary widely; he said single penetration tests can cost thousands (he cited an example quote of roughly $23,000 for a single test) while the district obtained vendor pricing options that were comparatively lower for bundled services.

Logan recommended selecting Brackett Security for penetration testing and related best-practice services after reviewing proposals and interviews with bidders; he said two other bidders had pricing errors or weaknesses in interviews.

The board voted to place the proposed cybersecurity procurement on the consent agenda for a future meeting.

District staff also updated the board on the 21st Century Community Learning Centers after-school grant. The staff said the district reapplied for the grant after a previous lapse in funding and received notification the funds would be released. The district expects to operate an after-school program at Eastside Elementary School that would serve students from Eastside, Westside, West Green, Sutilla and Coffee Mill schools; the district said the Boys & Girls Club is no longer operating the program in the district and that the Coffee County School System will manage the grant program once federal documentation is received.

A brief legislative item was raised regarding a district resolution tied to House Bill 223 (referred to in the meeting as the “Trees Act”), which the board chair said would provide temporary property-tax relief for eligible timber crop owners for 2024 and through the 2025 calendar year. The chair said Coffee County government had already approved a similar resolution and asked the board to approve the district’s resolution so it could be submitted as required.

Near the end of the session, a board member moved and Miss Johnson seconded a motion to go into executive session to discuss personnel, the superintendent’s evaluation, school safety and real estate; the board later exited executive session and adjourned the work session.

No final budget adoption or grant-acceptance vote took place at the meeting; staff said final financials and official grant documentation will return to the board when available.