Despite financial uncertainties at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, the Cullman City School System finished the 2020 fiscal year with a little more revenue and fewer expenditures than budgeted.

Cullman City Schools Chief Finance Officer James Brumley presented the year-end budget statement to the members of the Cullman City School Board during Tuesday’s meeting.

He said the system ended the year with total general fund revenues of $30,057,166, which is 103 percent of the projected revenues of $29,110,729 that last year’s budget anticipated. 

In May, the board passed a budget amendment to reduce the expected amount of sales tax revenues because of the uncertainty surrounding the virus’ impact on the economy, but sales tax revenues remained strong for the year, Brumley said. 

“That’s why we’re a little over budget on our revenues, which is a good thing,” he said. 

Brumley said expenditures were also a little lower than expected, with the actual general fund expenditures for the year totaling $26,380,909, or 96.69 percent of the budgeted amount of $27,285,236. 

“Again, I was very glad to see that,” he said. 

Brumley credited the lower expenditures to a few different factors, including the utility savings that the system saw after the state shut down all of its schools in March and moved students to virtual learning. 

There were also several sources of federal and state coronavirus funding that the system received to help cover some of the costs relating to the virus, and some of the expenditures that would have used local funding were able to be covered using those relief funds, he said. 

The total revenues and expenditures put the system’s year-end general fund balance at a little more than $8 million — with around $7 million of that in local funding — which equals around three months of operating expenses, Brumley said. 

“When you look at true local dollars, we’ve got right at three months, which is what we projected,” he said. 

The board also approved its officers for the 2020-2021 year, with Chris Branham being selected as board president and Amy Carter being named vice president. 

• In other business, the board: 
• Approved September 2020 payroll of $2,152,122.16, invoices paid of $1,620,257.58, financial statements and bank reconciliations. 
• Approved October 2020 payroll of $2,198,863.03, invoices paid of $1,073,636.51, financial statements and bank reconciliations. 
• Approved Cullman City Head Start Health/Nutrition/Disabilities/Enrollment Report for October 2020.
• Approved Cullman City Head Start Expenditures Report for October 2020.
• Approved Grant Solutions NGA for Cullman City Head Start for FY21 in the amount of $536,854. Balance of funds will be awarded when available.
• Approved Cullman City Head Start’s request for 12-mont no-cost extension for CARES Act funding in the amount of $59,634.13 – extend until Sept. 30, 2021.
• Approved the 2020-2021 Textbook Committee members for Cullman City Primary School, East Elementary School, West Elementary School, Cullman Middle School and Cullman High School.
• Gave permission to contract with Kristen Gragg to provide monitoring assistance for Student Services beginning Nov. 5 through March 31 (Local funds).
• Gave permission to contract with CCS personnel to provide tutoring services for students in need of reading support (CARES funds).
• Gave permission to contract with Julie Spradlin to provide virtual education services to sixth grade math virtual students beginning Nov. 16 through Jan. 15.
• Gave permission to contract with Meaghan Britton to provide virtual education services to sixth grade ELA virtual students beginning Nov. 16 through Jan. 15. 
• Gave permission to contract with Jessica Posey to provide virtual education services to sixth grade. 
• Gave permission to contract with Patrick Bates to provide database support, network services and consultation.
• Approved the following personnel items:
• Resignation:
• Holly Murphree, pre-k special eduction instructional assistant at Cullman City Primary School, effective Dec. 18.
• Holly Murphree, EDP early morning teacher at CCPS, effective Dec. 18.
• Leaves of absence
• Kylie Bates, math teacher at Cullman Middle School, FMLA beginning Jan. 4 through May 28 (tentative).
• Heather Carter, science teacher at Cullman High School, leave of absence beginning Feb. 1 through April 5.
• Employments 
• Stacy Howard, temporary special education instructional assistant at East Elementary School beginning Nov. 30 for the remainder of the 2020-2021 school year.
• Ashton Laney, EDP early morning teacher at CCPS, beginning Jan. 5.

The Cullman City School Board will next meet on Dec. 15 at 5 p.m. in the Central Office Board Room.