‘Epic’ $677.4 million general fund budget proposed for Fayette schools includes raises
Fayette County could be the first district in Kentucky to bring starting teacher salaries above $50,000 if the board of education approves a $677.4 million general fund budget for next school year.
The highest starting teacher salary in Kentucky right now is $45,772 in Kenton County, according to officials.
The tentative 2023-24 budget will also fund Mariachi instruction and dance teachers, increase the stipends paid to fine arts teachers for the work they do outside of the school day, and invest almost $1 million to replace band and orchestra instruments held together by duct tape at some schools.
Decades-old instruments still in use were shown to school board members during a budget workshop in March where various district staff talked about their department’s needs.
School board members said staff salaries were their top budget priority after receiving the results of a compensation study by an external firm that determined pay for teachers, principals, and district administrators was not competitive with other school districts.
While discussing the tentative budget at the May 7 board planning meeting, Deputy Superintendent Houston Barber said the potential impact of the proposed budget could be “epic.”
If approved, said Barber, the budget would be “life changing and game changing and historical for our teachers and staff. It’s such an opportunity to invest in the people who are doing the work on the ground and in the trenches.”
Key points in the budget include spending for academics, student support, personnel, strategic initiatives and operations.
“It’s not easy to get excited about numbers, but this is truly an extraordinary budget. I’m excited about the direction it will take us,” said Board Chair Tyler Murphy.
In the midst of nationwide shortages of teachers and school support staff, the proposed spending plan calls for a second year of “historic” investments in employee compensation to bolster recruitment and retention initiatives, officials said.
Last year’s budget included $12 million to raise the pay of hourly employees such as classroom aides, school bus drivers and cafeteria staff, and an additional $12.3 million to ensure that salaried staff received a 3% salary increase for education and experience.
For 2023-24, the staff recommendation is to add $24.9 million for salaried staff raises and an additional $4 million to provide a minimum 4% pay increase for hourly employees.
If the budget is approved at the May 22 board monthly meeting, all employees will receive at least a 4% raise, with an average raise of 8%.
Where does the revenue in the budget come from?
The overall tentative budget for the Fayette County Public Schools is about $867 million and is comprised of several different funds. Many of those funds are restricted to certain uses, so the school board has the most discretion over how to spend its general fund.
Total General Fund: $677,440,375; comes from local and state revenue sources and the school safety tax.
Special Revenue Fund, including federal and state grants, and COVID-19 relief money: $97,988,338
Food Service Fund: $31,977,438
Capital Outlay: $3,835,378 (Money from the state to be used for maintenance and construction projects or to pay for previously bonded projects.)
Building Fund: $55,497,117 (Local property tax revenue that must be used for building construction or renovation projects included on the district’s facilities plan.)
What are some highlights of the budget?
The district’s general fund includes $47.2 million of new spending. Here are the highlights:
$28.9 million for staff raises
$8.3 million for 148 positions working directly with students
$1.6 million to support students receiving gifted and talented, special education and multilingual services
$1.5 million investment in fine arts
$500,000 to ensure full-time nurses in every school
$466,000 to pay stipends for teachers taking on added responsibilities
$450,000 to open new preschool classrooms
$300,000 to expand Rise STEM and George Washington Carver academies.
How is the general fund distributed?
67.2% for instruction and student support, which includes equipment, materials and people that go into teachers, teacher assistants, counselors, social workers and other staff providing direct service to students
8.2% for plant operation and maintenance for the district’s 70 school campuses and three support facilities, including building repairs, utility bills and police officers
6.5% for business support, which includes the staff and costs required to run the district, including human resources, payroll, business and finance. It also includes districtwide costs like Chromebooks for students, security ambassadors, HVAC repairs and phone service.
6.5% for contingency
5.2% for school administrative support, including school leaders and support staff
4.2% for student transportation
1.4% for district administrative support, including the board of education, superintendent, legal services, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, government, family and community relations
.8% for fund transfers and debt service to pay for previously financed projects.
