With what Cullman County Schools superintendent Shane Barnette described as a “smooth start” to the new school year well under way, the school board was given its first look at next year’s proposed budget during Thursday’s, Aug. 15, board meeting.

Chief School Financial Officer Suzy Berryman presented the first public hearing of the proposed budget. Alabama law requires two public hearings and Berryman said she plans to hold the second next month before the board gives the budget official approval.

Due to increases in student enrollment, and subsequently state allocations, the overall proposed $118.7 million general fund budget was increased almost $7 million from 2024 despite what Berryman said was a continuing downward trend of local sales tax revenue which reportedly peaked in 2022.

The majority — near 70 percent — of the general fund’s expenditures were shown to be allocated for instruction and instructional support which includes almost $1.5 million in salaries and an additional $993,636 in employee benefits.

The projected general fund balance is predicted to be just more than $40 million by Oct. 1. Because nearly $10 million of next year’s supplemental state aid, which has already arrived, Berryman said a summary of the current year’s budget may appear to show budgeted revenues.

Other highlights from the budget proposal were:

— Transfers to the Child Nutrition Program for “pass through” salaries and benefits were budgeted at $1,234,000.

— Insurance matches remained constant at $800 per month per employee.

— The CCBOE’s retirement match increased from 12.59 percent to 13.57 percent for Tier 1 employees and from 11.57 percent to 12.6 percent for Tier 2 employees.

In other business the CCBOE:

—Approved Kristi Daniel as the Interim CNP manager at the Child Development Center until Dec. 20 when she will return to her current position.

—Approved Juana Cobos, Courtney Smith and McKenna Turney as student interns for the Career and Technical Academy’s educator in training program.

—Approved to pay Jessica Gorham, Cortney Myrex, Charles Nelson, Chandler Nunn and Leah Sapp $100 per game for assisting in the production of live streaming selected 2024 Cullman County football games.

—Approved the request from Cold Springs High School to pay Bruce Parker $30 per hour for after school detention.

—Approved the request from Good Hope High School to pay Griffin Morris $600 for summer basketball duties.

—Approved the request from Good Hope High School to pay Patrick McDonald $700 for girls basketball summer workouts and $700 for volleyball summer workouts.

—Approved the request from Hanceville High School to pay David Miller as the football program announcer.

—Approved the request from Parkside to pay Carrie Ferrell $750 for completion of the 2023-2024 yearbook.

—Approved the request from Vinemont High School to pay: Preston Boyd $1,120, Lance Lay $1,105 and Michael Williams $1,070 for extra work with Vinemont Basketball.

—Approved the request from West Point Elementary to pay Audrey Parker $1,200 as the 2024-2025 yearbook sponsor.

—Approved the request from West Point Elementary to pay Layla Quinn $1,200 for maintaining the school’s outdoor science lab.

—Approved the request from West Point High School to pay Stephen Bryson $1,500 for mowing the softball facility and $1,500 for mowing the baseball facility during the summer.

—Approved the request from West Point High School to pay Nicholas Thompson $1,500 for mowing the football field during the summer.

—Approved the request from Vinemont High School to surplus two Hummers and 100 unused student chairs.

—Approved the out of state field trip request from Good Hope High School to allow the basketball team to travel to Destin, Florida Dec. 26 to compete in a Christmas Tournament.

—Approved an exclusive five year contract with Coca-Cola to provide West Point High School’s soft drink products.

—Approved the purchase of BASE curriculum — primarily used during advisory sessions grades for K-12 to meet Alabama statutory requirements and discuss topics such as truancy, making friends, bully and careers.

—Approved the $34,016.50 purchase of 2018 International 4300 dump truck.