The Christian County School Board was presented with a draft budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year, approved construction change orders for the consolidated Christian County High School and discussed school rezoning policies at their Thursday meeting.
Superintendent Chris Bentzel presented a tentative budget for the upcoming fiscal year that he describes as conservative as they attempt to shoot for a 3% to 5% raise for district employees. The current drafted budget includes a 1.5% raise for employees, $1 million for technology replacements and six new buses.
Bentzel says the budget created will be finalized in May as it depends on what budgetary support they receive from the state. As the Kentucky General Assembly is currently in session to pass a state budget bill, Bentzel highlights House Bill 6 which would increase the Support Education Excellence in Kentucky (SEEK) funding by 6% for all public schools.
However, Board Attorney Jack Lackey says that SEEK funding is not as helpful to districts like Christian County that have low tax rates and high property rates. Lackey says with a 6% SEEK funding increase over two years, if property assessments increase in the district that will result in less money from the state.
Moving onto their discussion and approval matters, the board heard from Tim Geegan of Alliance Corporation who says construction for the consolidated Christian County High School is going well but brought four change orders for the board’s approval.
The first pair of change orders deals with the purchase and installation of two kitchen hoods, one in the main kitchen and one in the culinary kitchen. The second pair of change orders deals with the installation of electrical modifications for the gas and water heaters and changes to electrical panels.
The board approved all four change orders which resulted in around an additional $370,000 to the price of the high school’s construction. Geegan says the money that is not spent from the change orders will go back to the district.
As school district lines have been redrawn following the projected closure of Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School. Bentzel shared a new grandfather policy for students whose attendance zones may have changed.
The grandfather policy would apply to students who will be fifth graders, sophomores, juniors or seniors in the 2024-2025 academic year. Bentzel explains that these students would be able to continue attending the school they are currently enrolled in even if they are now in a different attendance zone because of the revisions.
The policy would only apply to fifth graders for the next academic year and applies to high schoolers until the consolidated high school opens.
However, within the regulations, Bentzel shared that the policy would not apply to the siblings of an eligible student which became a point of discussion for the board. The board approved the policy despite not having an agreement as to who it should all apply to. The rule will be revised and presented again to the board for approval at a future meeting.