BY VICTOR INGE

THE SELMA TIMES-JOURNAL

The Selma City Board of Education held the first of two budget hearings Thursday, as state officials providing technical assistance presented the proposed $35.3 million annual budget.

Warcheta Bedgood of the Alabama Department of Education delivered a PowerPoint presentation outlining the beginning school system balance, 2008 expenditures, and the projected fund balance at the close of the fiscal year on Sept. 30, 2008. There were also some increases over the previous year.

School system budgets are complicated, and the state has been providing technical assistance. Bedgood said the goal in developing a budget is &8220;to develop a reasonably accurate estimate of revenues and expenses,&8221; for programs and activities.

The public hearing is required by law and offers an opportunity for public input. A second public hearing is set for Monday, Sept. 17 at 5 p.m. at Pickard Auditorium. A called meeting will follow at 5:15 p.m., school officials said. The new fiscal year begins Oct. 1.

Each system is funded by a variety of sources. The beginning Selma fund balance is $9,552,671. Selma City Schools is budgeting $33,736,184 in revenue from state, federal, local and other sources. Next year’s expenditures total $35,366,789, according to Bedgood’s report.

The projected fund balance for Sept. 30, 2008, is $7,922,066, according to the proposed budget.

The biggest single source of local funding is $1,402,870, through the district special ad valorem tax. The county’s regular ad valorem tax provides $1,076,228 and is the next largest.

The largest expenditure is instructional, where $19,541,488 will be spent on teachers’ salaries.

There is $5,577,023 budgeted for instructional support. There is $3,272,261 budgeted for operation and maintenance, according to the budget.