Bradley County Schools present balanced fund 141 budget; commissioners question growth and insurance assumptions
May 12, 2026 | Bradley County, Tennessee
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The presenter for Bradley County Schools (identified in the meeting as Miss Moltry) presented a balanced fund 141 budget approved by the board of education on April 30 and summarized revenue and expenditure assumptions for the coming year.
Key revenue and funding changes include a base per-student funding of $7,530 under the state's TISA formula (an increase of $235 per student), an estimated $274,000 rise in state funding compared with the March estimate, and an explained revenue mix in which state funds represent just over 67% of total revenue, local sources about 31.9% and federal funding roughly 2% for this fund.
The presenter noted local assumptions of 3% growth in current property-tax collections and 2.7% growth in sales-tax revenue; staff said those figures were developed in coordination with the mayor's office and a March TISA estimate. The presenter cautioned that if actual growth falls short, the county could draw on fund balance; the budget projects a July 1 fund balance of about $8.3 million, roughly 7.2% of the $150 million budget.
On expenditures, salaries and benefits represent the largest share (about 80.6%). The budget includes a 1.5% across-the-board raise for salaried employees plus step increases; most employees are expected to see an average increase near 2.5% when step increases are included. Two new positions (a teacher and a classroom assistant for a general-education behavior classroom) are budgeted at about $140,000 total.
Other items highlighted: a capital-outlay package of roughly $1.1 million for building improvements and equipment replacement; fund 177 (multi-year building projects) carries about $20 million this year with FEMA and TEMA award letters for a science wing project; fund 145 (the PI Center) is seeing rising lease revenue as initial abatements expire; and the food-service fund (fund 143) was approved by the board with details available from Miss Brown.
Commissioners questioned the assumption of 3% property-tax growth given previously presented growth estimates by county staff; the chair and presenter reminded the commission that statute requires approval or rejection of the entire balanced budget rather than unilateral edits to board-approved items, though commissioners requested referral to the finance committee for additional review. The presenter also said the insurance committee will meet May 21 to finalize details on a projected 12% health-insurance cost increase (about $631,000 total), with individual coverage currently priced at $793 per person before the projected increase.
What happens next: commissioners may refer the budget to the finance committee for further review; no formal change to the board-approved budget was made at the meeting.
Key revenue and funding changes include a base per-student funding of $7,530 under the state's TISA formula (an increase of $235 per student), an estimated $274,000 rise in state funding compared with the March estimate, and an explained revenue mix in which state funds represent just over 67% of total revenue, local sources about 31.9% and federal funding roughly 2% for this fund.
The presenter noted local assumptions of 3% growth in current property-tax collections and 2.7% growth in sales-tax revenue; staff said those figures were developed in coordination with the mayor's office and a March TISA estimate. The presenter cautioned that if actual growth falls short, the county could draw on fund balance; the budget projects a July 1 fund balance of about $8.3 million, roughly 7.2% of the $150 million budget.
On expenditures, salaries and benefits represent the largest share (about 80.6%). The budget includes a 1.5% across-the-board raise for salaried employees plus step increases; most employees are expected to see an average increase near 2.5% when step increases are included. Two new positions (a teacher and a classroom assistant for a general-education behavior classroom) are budgeted at about $140,000 total.
Other items highlighted: a capital-outlay package of roughly $1.1 million for building improvements and equipment replacement; fund 177 (multi-year building projects) carries about $20 million this year with FEMA and TEMA award letters for a science wing project; fund 145 (the PI Center) is seeing rising lease revenue as initial abatements expire; and the food-service fund (fund 143) was approved by the board with details available from Miss Brown.
Commissioners questioned the assumption of 3% property-tax growth given previously presented growth estimates by county staff; the chair and presenter reminded the commission that statute requires approval or rejection of the entire balanced budget rather than unilateral edits to board-approved items, though commissioners requested referral to the finance committee for additional review. The presenter also said the insurance committee will meet May 21 to finalize details on a projected 12% health-insurance cost increase (about $631,000 total), with individual coverage currently priced at $793 per person before the projected increase.
What happens next: commissioners may refer the budget to the finance committee for further review; no formal change to the board-approved budget was made at the meeting.
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