Henderson County Board of Education approves tentative $134.9 million 2025-26 budget

The Henderson County Board of Education voted unanimously May 19 to approve a tentative operating budget of $134,900,000 for fiscal year 2025-26 and directed staff to submit the document to the Kentucky Department of Education by the May 30 deadline.

The tentative budget includes a general fund of $105,000,000, incorporates a planned 3% general wage increase for all staff (estimated to cost about $2,000,000), and sets aside $1,000,000 to continue the district’s 1-to-1 student device initiative. The plan budgets for four school buses at an estimated combined cost of about $600,000 and holds contingency at approximately 12% of the budget. The packet the board received also shows an $8,700,000 increase in the total operating amount because the special revenue fund was included in this version of the budget.

Why it matters: The school system’s tentative budget determines the district’s spending priorities for personnel, transportation and instructional resources and must be finalized after two additional procedural steps before becoming the adopted budget. Local property tax is listed in the packet as providing 44% of projected revenue while state SEEK funds are shown as 46%, a shift the board noted during discussion.

Chief financial officer Cindy Clotier introduced the budget and reminded the board of the KDE filing deadline: “The tentative budget in your packet is required to be approved by May 30 and submitted to KDE.” Superintendent Dr. Lawson described the budget as a team result and framed it as reflecting district priorities: “The money makes the mission happen.”

In addition to approving the tentative budget, the board unanimously approved the treasurer’s report for April, which shows total receipts of $6,280,101 and total expenses of $8,242,302, a net decrease of $1,962,201 across all funds. The paid-warrant report was also approved by unanimous vote.

Votes at a glance - Motion to approve the tentative 2025-26 budget and submit to KDE — approved, unanimous. - Motion to approve the treasurer’s report for April (receipts $6,280,101; expenses $8,242,302) — approved, unanimous. - Motion to approve the paid-warrant report — approved, unanimous. - Motion to approve the consent agenda (see meeting record for itemized list) — approved, unanimous.

The board chair and members who moved and seconded the motions are recorded in the meeting minutes; all votes on the budget and financial items were cast in the affirmative with no recorded opposition. The tentative approval begins the statutory process; the budget will return to the board for final adoption after required public notices and hearings as prescribed by KDE.