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Lincoln County Schools presents $41.8M FY27 budget, warns reserve use is unsustainable
Summary
CFO Austin Lucas told the Lincoln County Board of Education the FY27 general fund budget is about $41.8 million and that the proposed plan depends on roughly $3.2 million in carryover funds to preserve staffing; board members were warned that the approach is not sustainable if enrollment and state aid continue to fall.
The Lincoln County Board of Education heard a presentation on May 19 from Austin Lucas, the district's chief financial officer, on a proposed FY27 general fund budget of approximately $41,800,000. Lucas told the board the figure represents a year-over-year decline driven primarily by reduced student enrollment and lower state aid.
"The FY27 general fund budget is approximately 41,800,000," Lucas said, and he added that "the proposed budget utilizes approximately $3,200,000 in carryover funds to support positions" that exceed state-aid funding levels. Lucas said this is the first time his tenure that the district would commit essentially its entire carryover balance to maintain staffing and that the plan leaves no contingency.
Lucas highlighted a steep increase in local special-education spending, saying, "Since 2021, special education expenditures have increased from approximately 3,900,000 to a proposed 8,360,000. General fund only." He said charter-school payments, increases tied to homeschooling and HOPE scholarship usage, and fixed operational costs also pressure the budget.
Board members and staff discussed operational implications and potential personnel impacts. Lucas and the superintendent stressed the short-term benefit of preserving current programs while urging the board to pursue longer-term strategies. Lucas pointed to recent state legislation as a tool for district flexibility: "This bill allows superintendents to reassign or transfer professional or service personnel at any time during the school year," referencing House Bill 4578 as a mechanism to better match staff to student needs.
The presentation included a cautionary note: relying on reserves and carryover funds is "not sustainable long term," Lucas said, and the superintendent and board reiterated the need to explore options to stabilize finances as enrollment trends continue downward.
Procedural business that followed included unanimous board approval of minutes, the consent agenda, authorized payment of bills and personnel items; no formal changes to the budget were adopted at the meeting. The budget packet will be posted for public review and the superintendent said the budget will be submitted pending formal board approval in the coming weeks.
