The Pickett County Schools new fiscal year budget includes a new bus for disabled students and a pipe replacement for the high school.
The School Board went through the budget during a Monday work session. The total budget includes some $1.42 million in local tax dollars, a slight increase from last year. The state allocation stands at $5.93 million, based on the new TISA formula.
Director of Schools Diane Elder said the budget includes some $100,000 in building maintenance.
“I was hoping we weren’t going to use that, but then when we got the water leak and I was told the news, I was told this afternoon, we may end up using quite a bit of it, because we’re going to have to replace some pipes at the high school and that’s going to cost us quite a bit, I’m sure,” Elder said.
The water pipes froze during the Christmas freeze of last year.
Elder said she hopes to use some remaining ESSER money to purchase a new bus for handicapped students. She said it is the first time in several years the system has had to replace the bus with an estimated cost of $100,000.
“I have talked to different people, I’ve talked to other counties about what they have experienced,” Elder said. “I’ve been told, don’t get a used one, don’t try to go with anything but a big yellow bus. Buy a small one. You don’t have to have a 72 passenger or 78 passenger.”
Elder said the new state allocation strategy will not mean significantly more for the county this year.
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