Spencer County Board approves FY25 working budget, three-bus purchase and pay-scale revisions

The Spencer County Board of Education on Sept. 30 approved a working budget for fiscal year 2025, voted to purchase three school buses and adopted revisions to the district pay scale, including a raise for student workers to $14 an hour.

The budget presentation by district finance staff said the working budget reflects updated property-tax and SEEK numbers and moves several recurring costs into the base budget. Finance staff reported a contingency of about $1,770,000, or roughly 6.1 percent of budgeted expenditures, and said salaries and benefits account for about 84.0 percent of general-fund expenses, a slight improvement from last year.

Mr. Murphy (finance staff) told the board the working budget incorporates expected grant changes, transfers and personnel costs and is the final step before the district proceeds next year with draft budgets. "Tonight is the last step of the budget phases," he said, summarizing the changes that have been included since the tentative budget in May.

Superintendent Dr. Foster recommended approval. The board voted unanimously to approve the FY25 working budget as presented.

On transportation, district transportation staff requested authority to buy three buses for the 2024–25 year: two regular buses and one special-needs bus with air conditioning. Transportation staff said a regular bus costs about $150,368 and that a special-needs bus with air costs about $159,856, putting the total requested at $460,592. "The total requested tonight for 3 buses is 460,592," transportation staff said.

The superintendent recommended the purchase and the board approved the request unanimously, with the administration noting a plan to phase additional purchases according to budget availability.

The board also approved several pay-scale changes. The superintendent asked the board to raise the hourly wage for student workers to $14, with that increase made retroactive to July 1, 2024.

"Approve the increased student worker hourly wage to $14 an hour. Your approval would be retroactive to 07/01/2024," the superintendent said while presenting the recommendation; the motion passed unanimously.

Board members also approved a cleaner, simplified "back page" of the pay-scale document and a $10-per-day increase to substitute teacher pay (effective for dates worked on or after Sept. 26, 2024). Administration said the pay-scale edits and substitute increase are intended to make substitute pay more responsive to market conditions and to round substitute increases to whole dollars when an across-the-board raise is given.

Other budgeted items approved included adding a 4-hour cafeteria position at Spencer County Middle School and purchasing a riding floor scrubber for the middle and elementary schools at a stated cost of $16,259; administration said the working budget can accommodate those items.

Votes at a glance - FY25 working budget — Approved (motion; unanimous) - Purchase of three buses (1 special-needs with air, 2 regular; total requested $460,592) — Approved (motion; unanimous) - Increase student worker wage to $14/hour (retroactive to 07/01/2024) — Approved (motion; unanimous) - Revised pay scale with substitute pay increase ($10/day effective 09/26/2024) — Approved (motion; unanimous) - Add 4-hour cafeteria worker at Spencer County Middle School — Approved (motion; unanimous) - Purchase of riding floor scrubber ($16,259) — Approved (motion; unanimous)

What’s next: Administration said it will monitor funds and contingencies before placing any additional bus orders for fiscal year 2025 and will revisit fleet purchases in May to inform future planning.