Garrard County board accepts $7.5 million SFCC offer, approves tentative 2025-26 budget and multiple contracts
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Summary
The Garrard County Board approved a tentative 2025-26 budget, a salary schedule with at least 5% raises for staff, accepted a $7.5 million SFCC offer to preserve funding for the final phase of Garrard County High School, and approved a series of service contracts and routine administrative items.
The Garrard County Board of Education voted to accept a $7.5 million offer from SFCC intended for the final phase of Garrard County High School and approved the district's tentative budget and a package of contracts at its meeting.
Superintendent (unnamed) told the board the district had hoped for about $13 million to complete the high school’s final phase, including a gym, but “we don't think that that's enough money right now to build a gym,” and recommended accepting the $7.5 million so the funds would not be rescinded. The board voted to accept the offer by unanimous voice/hand vote of the three members present.
The board also approved the tentative budget for the 2025-26 school year, a required step to move the budget process forward. Superintendent said Miss Coffey prepared the budget summary and noted the district’s contingency is projected at roughly 9% at year end.
As part of personnel and budget actions, the board approved a salary schedule that raises pay for employees earning more than $20 an hour by 5% and provides a $1-per-hour increase for employees earning less than $20 (a raise of at least 5% for those staff). The superintendent said these recommendations were built around staffing needs and the district's financial outlook and recommended close monitoring of contingency levels.
Routine administrative and service items approved included a capital funds transfer, indirect cost rates for 2025-26, the annual cost-per-mile calculation for bus reimbursements and field trips, and continuation or renewal of multiple provider contracts. Contracts approved included: nursing services with Family Healthcare Associates, a memorandum of understanding with CAFCA as the primary school mental-health provider, visual-impairment services with Laurel Hatch, orientation and mobility services with Tracy French, occupational and physical therapy with ARC, and a Medicaid nursing supervisor contract with Carolyn Land.
The board also authorized the creation of an Exceptional Childhood Consultant position while eliminating an MTSS/NTSS position as part of an internal staffing trade-off. Separately, the board approved increasing the Medicaid coordinator stipend from $5,000 to $7,500; the superintendent said the district expects roughly $325,000 in Medicaid billing revenue this year.
Votes at a glance: All motions reported at the meeting were approved by the three board members present, including: adopting the agenda; accepting the SFCC offer; approving the tentative 2025-26 budget; approving the salary schedule; approving capital funds transfer and indirect cost rates; approving the cost-per-mile calculation; approving the health services agreement with Family Healthcare Associates; approving the CAFCA mental-health MOU; approving contracts for visual-impairment and orientation/mobility services, occupational and physical therapy, and the Medicaid nursing supervisor; creating the Exceptional Childhood Consultant position and eliminating an NTSS position; and increasing the Medicaid coordinator stipend.
What’s next: Approval of the tentative budget allows the district to continue budget development and public hearings as required by state procedures; accepting the SFCC offer reserves the referenced funds while district leaders seek additional financing if a gym is to be built.
