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Finance Committee approves a slate of budget amendments; schools present FY26 budget to commission
Summary
The Finance Committee recommended approval of numerous line‑item budget amendments across schools and county departments on May 8; items included school grant true‑ups, salary adjustments, special‑education allocations, and capital reimbursements. At the May 12 Commission work session, the schools presented the FY2025–26 budget with projected state and local revenues, teacher bonuses, raises, new positions and a $2 million capital outlay plan.
The Finance Committee met May 8 and recorded recommendations on numerous budget amendment forms submitted by Bradley County Schools and county departments. School amendments included grant “true‑ups” (TN Healthcare Resiliency Program, HCI grants), IDEA/Handicapped Act reimbursements, transfers to support FY25 salary adjustments, TennCare special‑education and nursing collections, and $675,000 allocated for Learning Camps (summer learning and transportation). The packet also included Fund 145 (PIE Center) and Fund 177 (Education capital projects) transfers — notably an $811,309 reimbursement for Hopewell Elementary additions.
County departments asked to move funds for routine administrative needs: ARPA funding ($50,000) to replace Juvenile HVAC, gaming tax proceeds ($94,822.25) to pay for a fire department parking lot, and multiple smaller transfers for travel, office supplies and vehicle maintenance. The Finance Committee's meeting minutes show many committee votes recorded as unanimous (5‑0 or 6‑0) on individual items; the minutes list the motions and vote tallies for dozens of amendments.
At a May 12 Commission work session, Ellen Smith, Finance Director for Bradley County Schools, presented the district’s FY2025–26 proposed budget. Key figures and assumptions included a TISA base of $7,295 per student and a March TISA projection adding roughly $2.08 million in state revenue (before county fiscal‑capacity adjustments); outcomes funding of $895,695; local revenue projections that count on a 3% increase in property‑tax collections and 1.8% sales‑tax growth; and a small decline in weighted average daily attendance projected to cost about $251,282. The draft budget funds a 4% across‑the‑board raise plus step increases (combined cost about $3.72 million) and estimates $2,000 state bonuses for eligible teachers (projected $1.79 million). Proposed capital and operating items include $2 million for capital outlay (building improvements, safety upgrades), a new janitorial contract, a third year of a technology refresh ($800,000) and multi‑year Fund 177 projects (Hopewell additions, Park View completion, BCHS science wing match). The packet showed an estimated undesignated fund balance of about $8.19 million projected for July 1, 2025.
Commissioners also placed multiple rezoning resolutions on the May 19 voting agenda. Public comment included concerns about absenteeism among immigrant students and possible effects of state voucher expansion.
