BOE approves 2026 budget, more
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By Christa Jennings
Senior Staff Writer
During a called meeting September 11, the Board of Education held its second and final budget hearing, with Board members approving the budget as presented by Chief School Financial Officer Amy Davis.
The ending fund balance presented at the first budget hearing was $4,350,853.38. However, the adjusted ending fund balance presented at the final budget hearing was $4,302,804.18, anticipated for September 30, 2026. This reflected moving utilities from Child Nutrition Program to local funds and an adjustment to indirect costs.
This projected ending fund balance also reflects an anticipated beginning fund balance of $4,816,766.01 on October 1.
As in years pat, the school system is once again losing a certified unit based on student attendance. The state-allocated certified units for the 2026 fiscal year are 51.39.
This reflects a decrease of 1.93 from the prior fiscal year, with the school system having 53.32 units in 2025.
The allocation of certified units is driven by the average daily membership, or ADM, for the 20 days of school following Labor Day in the prior school year.
While last year the Coosa County schools’ ADM decreased by 22, this year the ADM decreased by 33.05, resulting in the loss of certified units.
For the 2025 fiscal year the system’s ADM was 771.65, and for the 2026 fiscal year it has dropped to 738.60.
The lost unit was taken from a teaching position, decreasing the number of teachers from 44.82 to 42.89 for the upcoming fiscal year. Each school has been assigned teaching units based on these allocations.
The school system’s ADM includes 390.6 at the elementary school and 348 at the high school. For the 2026 fiscal year, allotted teacher units reflected for the schools are 24.09 at the elementary school and 18.80 at the high school.
However, with other state funds and federal funds, combined with the state-earned units, brings the county system’s total number of teachers to 53.
Also during the called meeting, the Board unanimously approved minutes from the August 28 Board meeting.
During the regularly scheduled August meeting, the Board unanimously approved Maressa Ware, Se’Karia McMillian and Veronica Lykes Edwards as substitute teachers/aides for the 2025-2026 school year, pending completion of requirements.
The Board also unanimously approved:
- The fiscal year 2026 Capital Plan.
- Renewal of the ATBE General Liability/Errors and Omissions Liability Coverage of $354, effective October 1 to October 1, 2026.
- The ATBE Automobile Fund Agreement to participate for the purpose of self-insuring selected automobile liability and selected automobile physical damage exposures through participation in the Alabama Trust for Boards of Education Automobile Fund.
- A contract with Glenwood Inc. to provide special education services for a student, with the contract beginning October 1 and ending September 30, 2026.
- A total of $15,000 to purchase a used maintenance van, with it to be paid from local funds.
- A lease agreement with the TCR Child Care Corporation.
- A salary scheduled change for a 12-month technology support position.
- Changing Kenton Rodgers from a 10-month to a 12-month technology support contract, effective September 1.
Also during the August meeting, Superintendent of Education David Stover Jr. presented certificates to all Board members for completing their six hours of required training of the School Board Governance Improvement Act during the 2024-2025 academy year.
Stover also recognized Board Member Sharon Massie for achieving Level 2 in the Association of Alabama School Boards, or AASB, School Board Member Academy during the 2024-2025 year.
The Board held its monthly meeting yesterday afternoon with a relatively short agenda that included three non-certified recommendations, with those individuals not being named until minutes are approved at the next month’s meeting.
Following yesterday’s meeting, the next regularly scheduled monthly meeting of the Coosa County Board of Education will be held at 4 p.m. October 23.
