Flint, MI— The Flint Schools Board of Education voted Wednesday night to delay passing a budget until after a they hold a special meeting with administration officials to address outstanding questions.
Deputy Director of Finance Ayunna Dompreh presented the budget during the meeting. Afterward, several board members said they felt uninformed.
Treasurer Laura MacIntyre said she noticed “discrepancies” and said the board had not been allowed ample time to review the information.
Board members declined to discuss the specifics of those discrepancies until they hold the special meeting.
Assistant Secretary and Treasurer Joyce Ellis-McNeal echoed MacIntyre’s concerns.
“We can’t address all this stuff because we don’t get things in a timely manner,” she said.
The motion to postpone the budget vote passed 5-2. Trustee Diana Wright and Vice President Vera Perry voted against the special meeting.
For fiscal year 2022, the district plans to begin with a positive fund balance of $8,304,210. Flint schools is predicting $71, 652,622 in revenue and $79,422,746 in expenditures, leaving a remaining $534,086 in the general fund.
Staff salaries account for 56% of the projected budget and contracted staff take up an added 13%, Dompreh said.
Flint schools expects a decrease in funding from local sources due to receiving less revenue from the City of Flint. Dompreh said this is partially due to the COVID-19 pandemic because many could not afford to pay their taxes.
The district projects a student count of 2,991.72, a decrease from the 2020-21 academic year, which will lower the district’s foundation allowance, Dompreh said. She added that this number will change once the district gets an official count in October. At that time, the district plans to make the necessary budget amendments.
The district still awaits $99 million in COVID relief funds as part of the American Rescue Plan. As it stands, the Michigan legislature has yet to release the funds to school districts.
The district plans on amending the budget once the state disperses the funds, Dompreh said.
The board has until June 30 to pass a budget. The district has not yet announced the date or time of the special meeting.