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Calvert County BOCC approves FY2025 year-end amendment for public schools budget
Summary
The Board of County Commissioners approved a year-end budget amendment for Calvert County Public Schools that reallocates funds across several school funds and reduces the planned use of fund balance from $25 million to $17 million.
The Calvert County Board of County Commissioners on Aug. 26 approved a fiscal year 2025 year-end budget amendment for Calvert County Public Schools that reallocates revenue and expenditure lines across the district’s funds and reduces the district’s planned use of fund balance.
School Chief Financial Officer Scott Johnson told commissioners the amendment reconciles budgeted amounts to actual revenues and expenditures and does not increase the district’s overall approved FY25 operating budget. The change reduces the previously budgeted $25 million use of fund balance to $17 million — an $8 million reduction — by combining higher-than-expected local interest earnings with lower-than-anticipated expenditures in several categories.
Johnson said local revenues were stronger primarily because of higher interest earnings from the district’s active investments and persistently high market interest rates. He said a smaller-than-budgeted recognition of some state workforce-development revenue will shift carryover spending to FY26, and federal revenue decreased modestly because of lower NJROTC expenditures.
On the expenditure side, Johnson said the largest reductions were in instructional salaries and wages (category 203), driven by fewer employees participating in the new career ladder in FY25 and by leave-without-pay and lower substitute costs. ESSER (COVID relief) funds were used to buy “future ready” technology devices, which reduced general-fund needs by more than $700,000, he said. Fixed charges such as health insurance and retirement also came in below budget.
Johnson reported the proposed expenditure reduction totaled about $6,725,000, roughly 2.4% of the expenditure budget. He also said the FY26 budget includes $11.25 million in unrestricted funds for the future-ready device initiative.
Commissioners asked for clarification about whether unspent categorical funds had to remain in their categories or could be transferred; staff said the amendment would lower the district’s use of fund balance and authorizes reallocations within existing funds and categories. Commissioners also asked about staffing and implementation of Blueprint provisions such as the career ladder and additional staffing needs (psychologists and speech therapists were noted as hard-to-fill positions); Johnson said new career-ladder participation is expected to increase costs in FY26 and that HR would provide estimates on additional staffing needs.
A motion to approve the FY2025 year-end budget amendment passed by voice vote; commissioners recorded no roll-call tally in the meeting minutes.
The school board approved the same amendment on June 30, 2025, and county finance staff recommended the BOCC approve the transfers for the unrestricted, restricted, food-service and school-construction funds.
The amendment will proceed as approved; county and school finance staff said they will finalize FY25 closeout numbers and provide any additional clarifications as they become available.
Ending: The BOCC vote concluded the item; staff will continue to finalize closeout details and follow up with requested staffing and categorical clarifications.
