Pulaski County schools report healthy cash position but face insurance pressure; board approves field trips and 2024–25 calendar

Miss Morgan Sklar presented the board with the district’s budget snapshot, saying revenues are slightly under budget but noting a county general-fund transfer through January of about $8,000,000, which staff reported leaves roughly 52% of the budget available for the remainder of the year (compared with about $6.3 million and 38% at the same point last year).

Sklar and other staff told the board they are monitoring a health-insurance cost pressure: staff cited an estimated 24% overall insurance increase and said their reinsurance costs were showing a 50% increase. The administration said it is exploring alternatives, including joining a reinsurance consortium under Jefferson Health Plan and issuing an RFP for competitive bids. Sklar said the division will meet with Anthem on Feb. 28 for further pricing information.

On contracts and capital projects, staff reported receipt of a Northwood contract that appears to be below $1 million except for licensing fees; the administration indicated capital outlay funds would likely cover the purchase rather than taking a loan. The community health center agreement is circulating with district and partner legal counsel for review, and staff said they are waiting for partner counsel’s review before returning to the board.

The board moved and approved two action items during the meeting: spring-semester field-trip changes and the 2024–25 calendar and testing dates. Field trips were approved after a motion and second; the 2024–25 testing schedule was approved as presented (elementary testing May 13 and 15; middle-school testing May 22; high-school testing May 21–23). Both motions passed with recorded affirmative votes.

Board members discussed the possibility of sharing reinsurance risk with other localities and noted ongoing coordination with the county. No additional budget actions were taken at the meeting; staff said the advertised Feb. 25 budget meeting may be postponed until state budget numbers are clearer.