Hardeman County board adopts 2026–27 budget, approves teacher bonus changes and capital, cafeteria funds

The Hardeman County Board of Education voted May 14 to adopt its 2026–27 annual budget and to approve related funding measures, including a policy change expanding eligibility for teacher bonuses and capital and cafeteria fund requests that will go forward to the county commission.

The budget presentation, delivered by Director Dr. Smith, said the district expects TISA revenue of about $26 million and roughly $8.8 million in local contributions. Dr. Smith told trustees the budget reflects rising costs — notably medical and property-casualty insurance and vehicle replacement — and cited bus prices rising from about $92,000 to about $178,000. “What we’ve been able to do in this budget is keep most of the personnel in place,” Dr. Smith said. He presented the plan with a projected budgeted deficit described in the presentation as $44,494,997.

Why it matters: trustees said the deficit reflects a combination of revenue assumptions and rising fixed costs; the adopted budget authorizes the administration to manage operations under those constraints while maintaining staff and student services.

The board also approved a revision to the differential (bonus) policy for tested teachers in grades 4–12. Under the change, teachers at schools that reach schoolwide performance levels 3, 4 or 5 are eligible for bonuses; the district added level 3 eligibility this year. The administration described a distribution formula in which a set bonus for a school will be divided with 80% distributed among eligible teachers and 20% allocated to other school personnel (support staff and similar positions). The motion to adopt the differential policy was moved and seconded and carried.

Board action and votes: the annual budget was adopted following discussion and a roll-call vote in which trustees recorded affirmative votes (as read on the record) from Jennifer, Patricia Carter, Davis, Anthony Ford, Henderson and Stacy. The board approved fund 177 (education capital projects) for building improvements in the amount presented as $1,262,355, and it approved the cafeteria budget (fund 143) as a request to be forwarded to the county commission; the district noted the cafeteria reimbursement rate from the county had not been finalized and that food costs remain volatile.

Additional context: Dr. Smith said the district trimmed travel and some instructional-supply spending to reduce costs, built a across-the-board pay increase into the plan, and continues to monitor grant and other income sources that could change the deficit projection. The cafeteria budget will be presented to the county commission next week for final approval at the county level.

The board concluded the item and moved on to the remainder of the agenda; the special meeting to follow was announced at adjournment.