Lancaster school board endorses $17.1 million draft budget and $259,500 capital plan for 2022

by Jackie Nunnery

KILMARNOCK—The Lancaster school board on Tuesday, February 9, endorsed a draft budget and capital improvement plan for fiscal year 2022 during its regular monthly meeting.

As projected, the $17,136,727 budget is up 1.11% from last year. Anticipated revenue includes total local funding of $11,760,104. State funds are expected to increase around 2% to $3,797,869 and federal funds are expected to decrease slightly to $1,369,709. All other revenue comes in at $179,000.

Among estimated expenditures, the general school fund is expected to total $16,502,516, with instruction up 1.5%—or $179,616—to $11,900,068, attendance and health up 4% to $332,199, administration up 1.4% to $772,128, transportation down 1.1% to $1,265,515, maintenance up 1.2% to $1,790 028, and technology down 9.2% to $442,578. The school nutrition fund is down 1% to $529,250 and the textbook fund is unchanged at $104,961.

Driving the increase in instruction is a proposed 3% salary increase for teachers and staff. Teachers would get a 1.5% salary increase and a 1.5% increase in step. The starting teacher salary for the next fiscal year would be $42,224, moving toward a goal of…