Anytime you can kick off a budget hearing with the words “we’re up 21% from this time last year”, you know it’s going to be a positive meeting. And positive it was!

LCS Chief Financial Officer Ryan Miller walked us through the Leeds City Schools’ Budget for Fiscal Year 2025 this morning. Miller went over each of the 5 components of the school system’s budget: General Funding, State Funding, Local Funding, Capital Projects, and Federal Funding.

Here are a few highlights from today’s budget hearing:

General Funding

• Fund Balance:
  • Beginning of the year: $10,000,000
  • End of the year: $5,712,335
• 67% of the general funds are personnel costs
• Non-personnel items include the Homer Smiles Stadium Project, Alabama Power, LES HVAC Project, Technology Hardware, Camera Upgrades, Bus Repairs and Maintenance, Land and Building Repair and Maintenance, Copy Machines, Ground Services, Instructional Software Renewals

State Funding

• 2% salary increase to cover state raises
• Increase in Textbooks allocation
• Increase in School Nurses Program allocation
• Increase in Transportation Operations allocation
• Funding for TEAMS teachers * LCS has 15 TEAMS teachers this year!
• Funding for 2 Math coaches (LPS & LES)
• Funding for 2 ARI/ Reading coaches (LPS & LES)

Local Funding

• Total net increase of $1,215,707 or 6.82% from Fiscal Year 2024
• Some of the sales tax from St. Clair County, the SSUT Fund, funds 2 of our SRO’s

Capital Projects

• LCS will be rolling out 4 new school buses in the next year
• LHS will get new controls for the lighting
• LMS will get a new HVAC control system
• LES will get a new playground/ recess area as another option for students with special needs

Federal Funding

• Title I is currently funding 7 teachers, 1 aide, and subs in the district.
• Title I also funds homeless supplies, parental & family engagement supplies, and professional development.
• Title II funds 1 Classroom Size Reduction unit at LPS
• Title III funds English Language Learner professional development and supplies
• Title IV funds some of our SRO’s
• IDEA currently funds 10 special ed aides, 2 special ed teachers, special ed subs
• For the 3rd year in a row, LCS has NOT had to dip into local funds to support our Child Nutrition Program thanks to our supper program
• LCS received 2 huge grants: McKinney-Vento and Stronger Connection