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The Buena Vista School Board last week approved a fiscal year 2024 budget that includes a 7 percent pay raise for all district employees, two new employee positions, and a request for increased funding from the city.
Working off an average daily membership of 825 stuents, the budget is for approximately $13 million, which is about $250,000 less than the FY23 budget.
Superintendent Dr. Tony Francis explained that this difference is due to state funding the system received this past year for capital improvements and a 1 percent bonus from the state.
This year, the School Board is asking for about $2.9 million from the city – a $215,261 increase from its request last year.
Much like other districts in the state, Buena Vista school officials are waiting for more guidance from the state, which they may not receive until late June. This creates some concern when offering employee contracts in May. For now, the district plans to base contracts off of a 7 percent pay increase, but that could be subject to change depending upon when a final budget is approved by the General Assembly.
“You just don’t know; I can’t tell you. If the Senate budget were to come through, we’d be golden. I don’t know if that will be the case. If it’s close to the Senate budget, that will be good. We may not know that until June 25. We give out contracts by the end of May,” Francis said.
Depending on what the locality agrees to in terms of school funding, the district may have to base its employee contracts on a 5 percent pay increase and then later possibly change that percentage once more information about state funding is known.
Regardless, Francis predicts that a 7 percent raise for teachers will be funded. “We’re gonna have to give the 7 percent to for teachers. I think because the other two budgets [House and Senate] both had that in there, so I think for sure there will be 7 percent for teachers, which will be required,” he said.
The proposed FY24 budget includes two additional positions to the district’s payroll – a media specialist and nurse. The media specialist, a new position in the district, will divide his or her time between the district’s two elementary schools’ libraries and computer labs.
The nursing position, funded this year through a grant, will continue to work between Kling Elementary School and Parry McCluer Middle School. The position will no longer be grant funded in the 2023-2024.
While trying to remain conservative when devising the budget, Francis feels confident in the budget the School Board is presenting to City Council.
