Oak Grove R‑VI board approves 2024‑25 budget revision as leaders warn of payroll shortfall

The Oak Grove R‑VI Board of Education on a unanimous voice vote approved the district's 2024‑25 budget revision No. 2 after staff presented adjustments that reflect added grant revenue, bond proceeds and rising expenses.

District officials told the board the overall budget across all funds showed a positive variance of about $1.3 million, but that fund 1 and fund 2 (the general operating funds that pay salaries and daily operations) remain in a deficit. Staff said the bond proceeds — roughly $17 million noted in the revision — are restricted to capital projects and cannot be used to cover payroll or operating costs. Based on the revision, staff projected year‑end reserves in fund 1 and 2 at about 8.6 percent and said that, without further action, the district might not be able to meet payroll in December.

Why it matters: fund 1 and 2 pay virtually all employee salaries and represent roughly 70 percent of district expenditures. Officials said the timing of state and local revenue — the district's largest…