Beaufort County school finance committee reviews budget, transparency report and major expenditures

The Beaufort County Board of Education Finance Committee met April 20, 2026, to review the board's monthly budget and a transparency report that lists major contracts and recent expenditures. Chair (speaker 1) convened the meeting at 4:30 p.m. with hybrid participation; committee members present included Mr. Ney and others on the line.

Miss Crosby, the district finance presenter, told the committee the year-to-date budget figures through March 31 show salaries at about 73.7% of budget, consistent with being roughly three-quarters through the school year. Crosby said auditors have begun preliminary fieldwork for the annual audit and that an additional $2,500 of audit-related spending is likely in the coming month. She said technology/broadcasting purchases were largely expended (about 98.9% of that line) and that board meeting stipends lag due to timing of reimbursements.

The transparency executive summary she presented included a vendor list of contracts above $100,000 as required by board policy; top vendors named were Thompson Turner (construction), Capital Waste Services, Republic Services (solid waste), and BrightView (grounds/athletics maintenance). Crosby said building-and-finishes construction spending totaled about $6,247,000 through February and that food service payments for February were approximately $1,000,000, consistent with the district's food-service contract.

The chair reviewed specific line items that drew his attention in the transparency report. He highlighted a $16,690 past-due balance at Shanklin Elementary for Carolina Produce Company and asked why it was past due. Crosby explained an audit monitoring finding showed district staff had not followed the exact distribution rules for a fresh-fruits-and-vegetables grant; as a result, USDA-related grant funds could not be used to cover that purchase and the school had to replace the expense from another funding source. "They could not use the grant funds," Crosby said, noting the district had communicated the requirement to the school and clarified distribution procedures going forward.

Crosby also noted the district made the final payment for a new district food truck ($36,900) purchased from excess operating balances accumulated during the COVID period. She described the truck as a flexible option for serving students and staff at events and said the district could arrange to bring it to a future board meeting or work session.

Committee members asked several procedural questions about payroll warrants and a payment into an optional retirement plan (CoreBridge Financial); Crosby explained the payroll deductions and periodic payments. Miss Phillips presented the monthly financial update through Feb. 28 and reported revenues and expenditures trending near expectations; she said the fund balance was approximately $166,000,000 as of the end of February.

The committee approved the meeting agenda and the March 16 meeting minutes by voice vote during the session and agreed to follow up on several items, including more detail on vendor line items and next steps for items flagged by the transparency review. The meeting adjourned by unanimous consent; staff said they will provide follow-up information at the next meeting and earlier where feasible.