Bruce (Brew) School staff urge board to address 'step seven' shortfalls and zero operating budget

Rebecca Stump, a math teacher who identified herself as faculty senate president for Bruce (Brew) School, told the Preston County Board of Education that the school is operating without a dedicated operating budget because it did not receive a separate step-seven allocation this year. "Bruce School is currently operating on a Z budget based on not receiving any step seven funding," she said, and told the board Brew historically received roughly $17,500 annually from step-seven funds for building operational needs.

Stump said district documents she reviewed indicate step-seven funds were overspent by about $51,000 this year and asked whether an unrestricted county account could be used to cover the overage or to provide targeted operational support to Brew. She raised concrete examples of line-item needs — $1,600 for a Character Strong program and $1,400 for needed teacher accounts for a K–3 phonics curriculum — that staff say they cannot fund without fundraising.

Why it matters: Classroom supplies and basic operational funding are essential to daily instruction; Brew staff say their faculty-senate allocations and fundraisers are currently the only means to cover routine needs such as paper, teacher accounts for curriculum platforms, and small program fees.

Board response and next steps

Board members and district staff responded with clarifying details: Mr. Martin explained that Brew benefits from countywide purchases (for example, licenses and districtwide software) that aren’t reflected as a discrete line for the school, and that step-seven allocations are often used to fund personnel costs, countywide software, copier agreements and textbook replenishment. He said some services that benefit Brew are centrally purchased and prorated across schools, which can make it appear the school receives no separate allocation even though students benefit from those investments.

Still, board members and Brew staff agreed that the issue requires more time. Several board members recommended a dedicated work session so staff and board members could examine step-seven allocations, the projected step-seven spending, and options for prioritizing operational funds. Mr. Martin and other administrators suggested submitting a written request and that principals and faculty representatives attend a future work session to go through the budget detail.

Key claims and clarifications

- Rebecca Stump said Brew’s step-seven allocation was overspent by about $51,000 and that Brew lacks a separate operating line for supplies and basic needs.
- Mr. Martin and others said Brew benefits from countywide purchases (software, copier agreements, some textbook purchases) that are paid from central allocations and not shown as a separate school line item.

The board asked administrators to prepare a focused agenda item (a work session or dedicated meeting) to sort out step-seven allocation specifics, potential use of unrestricted county funds, and whether targeted adjustments can be made to address unmet operational needs.

What the transcript does and does not show

The transcript documents the staff presentation, board questions and a recommendation to continue the discussion in a separate, detailed session; it does not record a formal board vote to reallocate funds or to move money immediately. Financial documents were referenced in the meeting packet by speakers but the transcript does not include the raw budget spreadsheets nor the district's final accounting for the stated overspend. Board members asked the district to return with more detailed budget information and for principals/staff to participate in that follow-up meeting.

Next procedural steps

Board members suggested scheduling a work session—potentially a daytime meeting when additional administrators are available—to review step-seven allocations across the district. The administration encouraged Brew staff to submit a written request and said it would prepare a prioritized list of legislative and budget priorities for the January legislative meeting.