Warren County School Board approves superintendent's FY26 budget after hours of public comment

The Warren County School Board approved Superintendent Dr. Ballinger's proposed fiscal year 2026 operating budget in a 3-2 roll-call vote on March 5, 2025. The measure, moved and seconded from the dais, passed with Chair (Madam Chair) and board members Dr. Funk and Mrs. Lowe voting aye; Miss Salins and Mr. McFadden voted no.

The approved budget would raise the division's overall operating request by about $3.2 million from the previous year and increases the county appropriation request by roughly $4.3 million, superintendent Dr. Ballinger said during the presentation. Key drivers identified in the staff presentation included salary and benefit increases for staff, rising health insurance costs, growth in English-language learner and 504 accommodation counts, and restored positions that had been held in prior years.

Board members and staff framed the vote as a trade-off between meeting documented needs in classrooms and presenting a package the Board of Supervisors could adopt. Miss Salins and Mr. McFadden said the request risked alienating county supervisors and…