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Florence County School District 5 approves first reading of 2025–26 general fund budget
Summary
After a presentation from Wanda Wilkes, the board approved the first reading of the 2025–26 general fund budget, which shows a slight increase from about $13.5 million to $13.6 million and includes step increases, staff shifts and revenue adjustments to offset enrollment-related funding losses.
The Florence County School District 5 Board of Trustees approved the first reading of the 2025–26 general fund budget following a presentation from Wanda Wilkes, the district budget presenter.
Wilkes told the board the district’s current-year budget is about $13.5 million and the proposed budget for next year is roughly $13.6 million. She said the district had to reconcile an enrollment decline that initially represented about a $500,000 shortfall and was reduced to roughly $200,000 through internal adjustments. “If you plug the original amount in, we lost $327,000 just in the state funding,” Wilkes said, adding that property reassessment is expected to yield about $300,000 in additional local revenue and tier 3 revenue is projected to increase by about $83,000.
The proposal includes stepped compensation changes: a $1,500 increase for each teacher salary step or category, elimination of the bachelor’s-plus-18 designation in the salary schedule (retaining bachelor’s, master’s, master’s+30 and doctorate levels) and a 1% pay increase for bus drivers, a state-funded category. Wilkes also said the district did not replace two regular-education positions and shifted one instructional assistant to Title I to support a new elementary program; administrators also requested a third 4K classroom contingent on enrollment.
Board members asked questions about food-service deficits and the district’s ability to manage the budget. Wilkes said some monthly red balances reflect calendar timing and earlier cafeteria renovations and that recent menu and procurement changes are intended to improve meal participation and net revenue. She framed the overall budget as balanced in the packet provided to trustees.
Miss Burrows moved to approve the proposed 2025–26 general fund budget on first reading and Mister Flynn seconded; the board indicated assent by voice vote.
Why it matters: The budget determines staffing, classroom supports and programs for the coming year. Wilkes emphasized enrollment as the primary risk to revenues and outlined adjustments the district made to reduce the impact. The board approved the first reading; no timetable for final adoption was specified in the meeting record.
