Johnson County board approves 2025–26 school budget including $2,000 certified bonus

The Johnson County Board of Education voted to adopt the school system's 2025–26 combined budgets — general purpose, federal projects, central cafeteria and Head Start — and authorized staff to add final local revenue estimates and other adjustments when state TISA and other figures are finalized.

The adopted budget includes a $2,000 bonus for certified employees that the board said will be funded primarily by state TISA payments expected in July; the board recorded a $402,000 estimate for the item that will be reimbursed by the state. The budget also contains a switch from an alternative salary schedule to a years-of-experience schedule, locally funded increases for noncertified employees and several new or converted positions.

Board documents and discussion identified the following highlights: the budget includes TISA revenue estimated at $43,407,670.90 (May estimate), a Connections Academy flow-through payment shown at $22,258,335 (April estimate), and an estimated district retention of 3.5% of Connections Academy revenue, $867,207.88. The board approved a $1.50-per-hour increase for noncertified staff, budgeted at about $365,542; a $500 bonus for noncertified employees, estimated at about $83,750; a transition of bus drivers to a yearly salary schedule, budgeted at about $110,486; and a combined cost for the salary-schedule change and pay increase shown in board materials as $1,111,500 (document line item). The district also included a projected health-insurance increase (discussed as 4% in initial estimates, with some references to higher projected prescription cost volatility).

The budget adds positions the board had requested or discussed: a public-relations employee (11 months), a social worker (10 months), an 11-month security position (district employee), and a meat-processing teacher (12 months) the board said would be funded at least in part through an ISM grant. The board said the social-worker position could be funded through Project Serve, which would reimburse the district for child-care costs related to recent flooding and could cover the position for an initial period.

Board members and staff noted some employees will not be covered by the state-funded certified bonus as drafted: administrators and employees on 100-day or some 120-day contracts do not meet the state's eligibility criteria. The board discussed locally funding pro rata amounts for short-term contracts (for example, previously prorating 100-day contracts at 50% and 120-day at 60%) to address perceived morale issues. Board members emphasized that state rules require certified bonuses to be based on the 2024–25 school year for eligibility.

Staff also told the board that Head Start funding is flat this year (no COLA) and that increasingly expensive prescription drugs are driving much of the health-cost volatility the district is monitoring. Other operational and capital matters discussed in the presentation included replacing windows at Rum Creek (staff said they are working to obtain bid estimates) and enrollment increases at specific elementary schools that prompted a request to consider an assistant principal where K' enrollment approaches 240'50 students.

The motion to adopt the combined school budgets and to authorize final local-revenue adjustments when state and final estimates are available passed on a roll call: recorded votes in the transcript show Mister Greer, Mister Robinson and Mister Long voting yes. Board members and staff said the earliest the $2,000 certified bonus could be paid locally is September or October, given payroll and state-timing constraints.

Votes at a glance - Adoption of 2025'26 combined school budgets and authorization for administrators Dr. Simcox and Miss Lipford to add final local revenue estimates and prepay amounts when available: Approved (recorded yes votes: Mister Greer; Mister Robinson; Mister Long).