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Oak Grove board approves 2025-26 budget amendment after debating raises, steps and route cuts
Summary
The board approved a 2025-26 budget amendment after administrators described a tight fiscal picture, an unexpected $230,000 county revenue loss, and a conservative $540,000 surplus scenario tied to cutting two bus routes; board debated one-step pool ($200,000) vs. base pay increases and preserving reserves.
The Oak Grove R-VI School Board voted to approve a 2025-26 budget amendment after months of cost-cutting and a detailed review of the district's reserves and revenue outlook.
Finance staff reported the district expects to end the fiscal year with roughly 11.5% reserves after a required fund transfer; however Jackson County later advised the district of a $230,000 reduction tied to a commercial tax cap calculation, turning an earlier balanced projection into a modest deficit. Administrators also described reductions in projected state adequacy funding (staff cited a projected $6,900 per-pupil figure versus an earlier $7,140 assumption).
District leaders outlined a conservative $540,000 scenario available for staff priorities, which already assumes elimination of two bus routes. Options discussed included allocating $200,000 to provide a one-year step for eligible staff (moving all staff one step on the salary schedule), increasing base pay (each $100 to the base costs roughly $60,000), or a combination that would protect reserves while giving staff a modest raise.
Nicole, representing the Superintendent Advisory Committee, summarized a staff survey of 132 respondents: continuing full board-paid insurance was cited by 32.6% as top priority, 37.1% prioritized a step, and 29.5% favored a base increase. Board members debated retention and retirement impacts of steps versus the broad effect of base raises and asked staff to present scenarios that would allow both some reserve rebuilding and meaningful compensation changes.
After discussion the board moved to approve the budget amendment as presented. Administrators said they would convene a special meeting in early May to finalize hires and concrete compensation actions so staff would know their salary schedules before the May 20 meeting.
