BOE approves $77.6 million budget for 2019

The Homewood Board of Education approved $77.6 million in school system expenditures for the 2019 fiscal year at its Sept. 11 meeting.

The fiscal year begins Oct. 1. The school system expects to bring in nearly $79.6 million in revenue from federal, state and local funds, leaving them with a likely surplus at the end of the fiscal year. Read a recap of the budget here.

Related to the budget, school system Chief Financial Officer Lynn Buch said that Moody's recently improved Homewood City Schools' credit rating went from double A 2 to double A 1, as an indicator of the system's financial stability.

The BOE also heard from State District 46 Rep. David Faulkner, who brought a $5,000 donation for the Safe & Healthy Homewood Coalition's work in preventing teen substance abuse. Faulkner said "it has been on my heart to support" the coalition after seeing the problems caused by substance abuse around his district and the state.

Faulkner said the high performing school systems in his district make education a constant focus for him.

"When I'm in Montgomery, my constant thought is education. How do I make it better?" Faulkner said.

This includes his support of an exemption to the lid bill for Homewood, which will be on Jefferson County ballots on Nov. 6. The exemption would allow Homewood residents to hold citywide votes in the future if they want to raise the city property tax rate, which would provide additional school funding.

"It only seems right that the community can decide for itself," Superintendent Bill Cleveland said.

The BOE also approved an $80,400 contract with Building and Earth Sciences Inc. to provide testing of construction materials for the new addition at the high school.

The next BOE meeting is Oct. 16.