School board adopts balanced FY 2024–25 budget, staff cite three‑tier reductions

The Chapel Hill‑Carrboro City Schools Board of Education on Monday unanimously adopted its FY 2024–25 budget resolution following a presentation from district finance staff.

Mr. Scott, who outlined the administration’s recommendation, told the board the proposal "is pretty much a culmination of the work that the board and the district administration has done over the course of the last 9 months," describing a plan he said balances reductions and continuation needs across funds. He said the budget book attached to the resolution provides detailed information across all funds, including state public‑school funds and a 10‑year capital investment plan.

Board members asked for clarification about fund codes and the limits on moving dollars between funds. Mr. Scott explained that transfers within a fund’s functions and subfunctions can be made with board notification, but money cannot be moved between separate funding sources — for example, local dollars cannot be budgeted as state dollars and grants are restricted to their own fund codes.

Several trustees asked the administration to begin multi‑year forecasting sooner, and Mr. Scott said staff will bring a budget work session to the full board in January to project two‑ to three‑year scenarios tied to state biannual budget decisions.

The chair called for a motion to adopt the FY 2024–25 budget resolution; the motion was seconded and the board approved it unanimously.

The board asked staff to provide continued detail on fund codes and to return with multi‑year projections at the January work session.