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Johnson County narrows budget shortfall; board weighs pay increases, three proposed positions and enrollment impacts
Summary
District leaders reported a reduced budget gap and presented options including a $1 to $1.50 increase for non‑certified staff, a $2,000 bonus for certified staff, and three proposed new positions (public relations, social worker, security). The board asked staff to refigure a $1.50 option and to keep the new positions in the draft budget for now.
Johnson County school officials told the board their draft budget shortfall has narrowed and outlined options to raise non‑certified pay, preserve a certified bonus and add three positions while monitoring uncertain local revenue and enrollment figures.
District staff said they have reduced a prior projected shortfall from about $1.5 million to roughly $300,000 after line‑by‑line review and other adjustments. Staff reported projected revenues of $48,122,968 and described remaining uncertainties in local tax base projections and sales tax receipts. Staff said a $1 increase for non‑certified employees would leave the budget about $287,001.97 short of balance under current assumptions.
Staff presented options for personnel compensation and schedule adjustments: the budget under consideration would provide a $2,000 bonus for certified staff (with the state expected to provide some funding for that bonus but not necessarily covering all positions), move certified employees onto an annual experience‑based schedule rather than the LOE schedule, and provide non‑certified employees a one‑dollar increase (staff asked the board whether to consider $1.50 instead).
The work session also included three proposed new positions in the draft budget: a public relations position, a social worker and a security position. Staff indicated the social worker position may qualify for a grant to offset cost. Staff discussed estimated salary and fixed costs as planning figures: presenters referenced a planning estimate of roughly $48,000 (salary basis) for the public relations position, about $49,000 for the security position (both figures described in thousands) and roughly $78,000 for the mental‑health/social worker position, with the latter potentially funded in part by an external grant.
District staff warned of enrollment‑related reductions that could reduce positions without cutting personnel — for example, declining kindergarten enrollment could eliminate one or two teaching positions as sections are consolidated. The district said it keeps a "ratio reducer" line in the budget to restore a position quickly if enrollment increases shortly before the school year.
Board members instructed staff to refigure the model using a $1.50 increase for non‑certified employees rather than $1 and to keep the three new positions in the draft budget for now while staff continue to refine local revenue projections and state reimbursement guidance. No formal budget adoption vote was taken during the work session.
The board discussed timing and uncertainty. Staff noted that the state has not yet clarified which certified positions will qualify for state bonus reimbursement and said they had been deliberately conservative in revenue assumptions. Board members also discussed possible staffing shifts to preserve federal program operations (for example, shifting cafeteria positions into general purpose funds to maintain federal program compliance).
