The Homewood School Board approved the Fiscal 2021 budget at the Sept. 14 meeting, which projects roughly $ 1 million more in income than expenses, according to Homewood City Schools communications director Merrick Wilson.
The $ 53 million budget provides for approximately 369 teacher units, of which 272 are funded by the state of Alabama and the remainder funded by local funds. Local and other funding represents about 58% of the budget, 34% coming from the state and 7.5% coming from federal funding.
Federal COVID-19 relief funds, totaling approximately $ 1.4 million, will go to reading and math tutors, math coaches, teaching aids, health service supplies, sanitation supplies and equipment , to a system-wide nurse, to computer hardware and software licenses, and to summer reading programs.
In terms of capital projects, there is $ 2.6 million in system-wide building and field improvements, including upgrades to the high school baseball field, a new maintenance shop at the Board of Education, renovations to the media center at Homewood Middle School and other miscellaneous repairs.
Seventy-seven percent of the budget goes directly to training, including salary and benefits, equipment and supplies, technology, textbooks and more. Another 13% goes to safety, operation and maintenance, while another 10% goes to the preschool program, transportation, administration and local support that goes to each school, including the program. child nutrition.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s budget “conservatively budgeted for local revenues” without increasing sales tax or city and county property tax, Wilson said.
