Pulaski County Public Schools to cover rising insurance costs, pause raises as enrollment and state funding fall

Summary

District staff told the school board that lower enrollment and reduced state compensatory funding have tightened the budget; staff propose covering employee insurance increases rather than granting a general raise, while waiting for final House and Senate budget actions and scheduling a public hearing next week.

Superintendent Graham said Pulaski County Public Schools is recommending that the district cover the full increase in employee health-insurance costs for next year and postpone a broad pay raise as officials wait for final state budget action.

The decision follows an enrollment shortfall the division said will reduce state revenue. "When we do the budget each year, we first wanna start with the baseline from the year that we're currently in...so we would like to take everything that we have this year and move it to next year and not lose anything," Superintendent Graham said, explaining the approach.

Graham told the board the division originally budgeted 4,176 students but that the VDOE count tool reduced that figure to about 3,927, a decline of roughly 249 students that will cut state funding. Staff later…

Pulaski County Public Schools to cover rising insurance costs, pause raises as enrollment and state funding fall

Summary

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