By Roberta Adams | Courtesy of The Moore County News
LYNCHBURG – During the July Moore County School Board meeting, Director of Schools Chad Moorehead announced that Mayor Sloan Stewart recently advised him that after 2025-26 budget adjustments, revenues for schools will fall $82,197 short of projected levels. While this will not result in any cuts in staff or services, it will further deplete the fund balance. Budget amendments were unanimously approved in July’s Metro Council meeting. What steps, if any, may be taken to increase the fund balance remains to be seen.
According to Mayor Stewart, the reduction came at the request of the State Comptroller office during the process of the final state approval of the 2025-26 Metro Moore County budget. It represents the standard two percent anticipated default rate from local property taxpayers. Mayor Stewart says; however, the actual default rate in Moore County hovers at less than one percent and he anticipates the funds will be re-instated by the end of the fiscal year.
{Editor’s Note: This article is brought to thanks to an editorial partnership between The Lynchburg Times and The Moore County News. To read more of their articles, click here.}
School lunch prices increase
The board approved the school meals price increases. Breakfast at both schools will change from $1.25 to $1.50. Lunch for LES students will increase from $2.75 to $3. Lunch for MCHS students will increase from $3 to $3.50. Adult breakfast will increase from $2.25 to $3, and adult lunch will increase from $4 to $4.50. Cafeteria budgets are separate from the schools’ budget, and must be self-sustaining. The School Board, however, must approve any price changes.
Safety film replacement moving ahead
The degrading safety window film at MCHS has been an issue for months, with replacement to begin soon, while the job is still under warranty. The company has offered to replace the film with 27 ml thick film that they claim to have the same safety profile as the current film, which is 33 ml thick. The film on the windows now is two sheets thick, and the suggested 27 ml replacement is one sheet. After discussion, the board determined that they would go with the original plan of two sheets with a total 37 ml thickness. Approximately half of the windows will have the film replaced.
Board policy changes
The board discussed a number of policies to ensure they met the Tennessee School Board Association (TSBA) requirements. The board voted to develop a policy to allow a student representative on the board. While the board must have the policy in place, they are not required to enact the policy. Director Moorehead will develop the policy, detailing the method of selecting a student and the time frame in which the student will serve.
Some of the other policies addressed included the use of local produce, using virtual days if weather days are all used, filtering social media capabilities out of the schools’ internet, showing the student’s reading level on LES report cards, and oversight of charter schools. None of the policies reviewed required any major changes.
The next Moore County Board of Education meeting will take place on Monday, August 11 at 6 p.m. To see an agenda of that meeting, visit the Moore County School website by clicking here. •
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