Hawkins County school leaders present 2025-26 budget draft, flag federal grant delays and facilities needs

Melissa (staff member) presented a draft 2025-26 budget to the Hawkins County School Board that maintains the proposed property tax rate at 2.3177 and allocates the local share across the general purpose, transportation and education capital projects funds.

The draft holds the estimated property tax rate at 2.3177 and shows allocations of 0.5905 to the general purpose school fund, 0.3051 to the transportation fund and 0.0392 to the education capital projects fund, Melissa said. She told the board the draft does not yet include final federal project budgets because those allocations were not finalized in time for the May 1 board meeting and staff will amend the budget later if needed.

Why it matters: the package combines salary-scale increases, reclassifications driven by state reporting requirements and a set of contingent federal and state funding decisions that together shape how much the district will need from reserves and which capital projects can move forward.

Board discussion and key details

Staff described several personnel and salary changes that drive the budget increase. The district adjusted state-mandated certificated base scales upward and increased noncertificated scales…