The Putnam County Schools want to add 29 new employees with an additional $12 million in money coming from the state.
The amount, which is not yet final, the result of the state’s new funding formula. At last count, the number stood at $12.38 million.
Director of Schools Corby King highlighted a first draft of the new fiscal year budget Thursday night. He said the goal of the $116 million plan: bring county commissioners a zero increase budget.
The school board wants to spend over $8 million on personnel in the new budget. $2.359 million of that is on new personnel.
Among the new employees, 15.5 positions that came to the school system during COVID. King said the positions proved beneficial, especially in the area of addressing long-term learning loss.
In addition, the system wants to increase pay for its current teachers and administrative staff. King said that includes a $46,500 starting salary for new teachers next year.
Inflation has also impacted the budget. King said the system has budgeted a $840,000 increase in utilities, for example.
The budget is based on four tenets of the school system’s new strategic plan, set to be implemented in June. They include improving student success, making sure all plans are aligned across the district, better recruitment and retainment of teachers, and the maintenance of safe and comfortable learning spaces.
The first draft of the budget includes a $1.267 million gap. King said that is not unusual at this stage of the budget process.
The state is expected to give the system the final funding number in June.
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