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Franklin County schools request $8.93 million as enrollment falls; superintendent warns pay plan could become "out of reach"
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Sears told the Board tonight that declining enrollment (projected ADM 5,567) will cost the division about $1 million in state revenue and presented a needs-based FY27 request totaling $8,929,437, led by a $3.9 million phase‑three compensation push to restore teacher pay steps.
Dr. Sears presented Franklin County Public Schools' FY27 needs-based budget to the Board, saying the division projects average daily membership next year of 5,567 students, a drop of 137 that "results in a loss of a little over a million dollars in state revenue." He said the division built its request on a conservative Senate funding scenario and emphasized that rebenchmarking for standards-of-quality positions had softened some of the shortfall.
The superintendent listed the division's top priorities and their projected costs: phase three of the compensation study ($3.9 million); market adjustments for positions left behind (nurses, bookkeepers) ($350,000); continuation of the DSIP retiree staffing program ($414,955) and an optional extension ($130,000); a local share for required math textbooks ($500,000); a health insurance premium increase the division estimated at roughly $1.2 million; transportation initiatives including up to 15 new buses (about $600,000) and added repair/safety funding ($1 million); and a set of smaller capital projects and security upgrades. Dr. Sears said those items together produced a needs-based additional funding request of $8,929,437.
On enrollment and staff compensation he warned of growing risks: "If we can't get [phase three] done soon, it's going to be out of reach, I'm afraid," Dr. Sears said, urging the board to consider the long-term costs of losing experienced teachers.
Supervisors asked for clarifications during the Q&A: how much the division saved when two elementary schools closed (Dr. Sears said the staffing reductions were most quantifiable, noting about 87 positions eliminated over two years), where large capital projects appear in the district capital list, and whether alternatives to self-insurance for health benefits had been evaluated (the division said consultants had solicited quotes but those were not competitive). Dr. Sears said the full capital needs list, which includes large HVAC replacements at multiple schools, had already been provided to the supervisors.
The superintendent offered to provide detailed audited-year-over-year expenditure comparisons in the budget book the board will receive and invited supervisors to email questions after they review the materials. The board scheduled a joint work session with the schools to continue budget deliberations.
