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Preston County schools review finances as fund balance declines and board presses for clearer budget scenarios
Summary
Treasurer Katrina Kursed told the board the district’s unrestricted fund balance declined after one-time federal funds expired and warned reserves will continue to fall if spending patterns are not adjusted. Board members asked for management reports that show a budget that does not draw on reserves and identified personnel and recurring digital curriculum platforms as major cost drivers.
Preston County’s chief school business official delivered a comprehensive fiscal update at the Nov. 10 school board meeting, telling trustees the district’s unrestricted fund balance declined from last year after federal one-time funding phased out and that forecasted spending will reduce reserves unless adjustments are made.
Katrina Kursed said the audited and unaudited numbers show a roughly $500,000 drop in unrestricted fund balance compared with the previous year; a larger apparent swing included encumbrances and prior-year purchase orders carried into the new fiscal year. She also told the board the district has not received a current sheriff’s tax statement for three years, which complicates revenue estimates used to prepare financial statements.
Board members asked for more actionable reporting. Several members — including Mr. Ker and Mr. Kisner — urged the administration to produce a management-style comparison that shows two budget scenarios: the board’s approved budget (which may include planned reserve usage) and an alternative “level-fund-balance” budget that assumes no draw on the unrestricted balance. That comparison would illustrate which programs and expenditures would need reducing to avoid dipping into reserves.
Trustees identified personnel cost as the single largest category and also highlighted recurring spending on digital curriculum platforms and learning-management systems as areas for review. Mrs. Kursed said many technology purchases were made while federal one-time funds were available; some contracts now become recurring county obligations.
Kursed and the superintendent agreed to return with clearer reports and recommendations. Proposed follow-ups included a budget summary showing the components of any reduction that draws on reserves, a line-item review for high-cost recurring expenses (software/platforms, curriculum adoptions), and a plan to present options to the board during the next budget season.
No formal budget vote was taken at the Nov. 10 meeting. The board discussed the importance of bringing requested materials sooner than later, with an eye toward a multi-year plan to stabilize the fund balance and limit nonrecurring uses of reserves.
The board and administration also discussed school-building authority grant work the district has submitted (a proposed HVAC retrofit at South Preston School that would reduce electricity costs). Superintendent Mr. Martin described the project as potentially cost-saving because South Preston’s electric resistance heat leads to higher utilities, and said the district had applied for SBA grant funding and expected a decision by Dec. 15.
