By Josh Bergeron

The Selma Times-Journal

 

The Selma City School Board passed its fiscal year 2014 budget and a capital plan Thursday that includes roof repairs at two elementary schools.

“We are looking good as far as our budget goes,” Superintendent Gerald Shirley said. “For a school district our size, I’d say the budget is average.”

The budget projects a total of $35.3 million in revenues and $35.1 in expenditures, leaving the school district with $232,969.09 in expected reserves.

Shirley said the school board plans to place the excess money in its reserve fund.

“The state of Alabama requires us to have one month of reserve funds, but we are actually doing a little better,” he said. “We have about two and a half months of reserve funds.”

Instructional support services, which include teacher salaries, make up the largest portion of expenditures at $22.9 million.

The budget doesn’t include any expenses under capital outlay, used for long-term projects, but the school board’s capital outlay plan includes plans to replace roofs at Knox and Clark Elementary Schools.

“They are both in need of some repair,” Shirley said. “We haven’t made any definitive plans, but it is something we are thinking about.