Local school board approves tentative budget, salary schedule for upcoming fiscal year

The Christian County School Board approved the district’s tentative budget and salary schedule for the 2026-27 fiscal year at Thursday’s meeting.

District Finance Director Jessica Darnell presented the tentative budget, which includes funding regulations passed by the Kentucky General Assembly during the 2026 session.

Darnell says the Support Education Excellence in Kentucky (SEEK) fundingis $4,626, based on the Average Daily Attendance (ADA) total. For the upcoming fiscal year, she says SEEK funding will total around $32 million, which is a decrease of around $1.4 million from last year.

According to Darnell, the decrease occurred as a result of a decrease in ADA and an increase in property values, which is computed by the Christian County Property Valuation Administrative Office.

The district is expected to carry forward around $7.8 million, and Darnell says they have not received any federal or state allocations yet. Concerning federal grants, she says they will receive at least 90% of what they received for the 2025-26 fiscal year.

Following its approval, the tentative budget will be reviewed by the Kentucky Department of Education, and in the fall board members will vote on the budget’s final approval.

Board members also approved next year’s salary schedule, and it includes a $1,000 employee stipend and continues the step program where wages increase depending on how long an individual has been employed at CCPS. However, the salary schedule does not include a wag increase for all employees across the board.

Hopping over the Stadium of Champions, board members approved resurfacing the track for around $184,000. The project price includes the removal of the current track. A change order for the stadium was also approved for the addition of a concrete pad, fencing and a turf upgrade. The board approved two other change orders for the consolidated Christian County High School to revise some doors and replace damaged glass panels that were being stored at the school.

To conclude the meeting, the board members and Superintendent Chris Bentzel thanked student board members K’Veon Ivory of Christian County High School and Karla Quintanilla of Hopkinsville High School for their service. During their term on the board, Bentzel says they have raised the bar.

The pair will be among those graduating on Friday. The CCHS ceremony will be at 5 p.m., and the HHS ceremony will be at 8:30 p.m. However, the ceremony location is still being decided due to rain chances, and the decision will be announced on Friday at noon.