The Acadia Parish School Board adopted an $88.8 million operating budget for the 2020-2021 year.
The budget was approved during the July meeting in advance of the beginning of the fiscal year July 1.
Expected revenues for the coming year are $88,580,352 while expenditures total $89,786,198, leaving a deficit of $1,277,846, according to Chief Financial Officer Justin Carrier
“Our revenues are expected to remain the same during the coming year, but our expenditures are up,” Carrier said.
Prior to the meeting, the board conducted a public hearing on the proposed budget. No one spoke for or against it.
The board also revised the 2020-21 school calendar and set millage rates for the year during its July meeting.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the board voted to push the student start date of school back to Aug. 17.
That move will give teachers a full week on campus to adjust to the pandemic-related changes. Teachers will report to schools on Aug. 10.
New guidelines for schools have been prescribed by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Millages for Tax Year 2020 will remain the same as they were for 2019.
The board had the option to “roll up” millages but chose to keep everything the same in response to the current state of the economy in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Board member Milton Simar said leaving the millages as is “is the right thing to do.”
“People around the parish help the school system out and it’s our turn to help the people,” he added.
The APSB could have raised $199,664 in additional funds if they had voted to roll up the millage. The board will revisit this topic next year at this time.
In other action, the board:
— Approved the recommendation of the Budget and Finance Committee regarding final revisions of the 2019-2020 budget.
— Approved the recommendation of the Budget and Finance Committee regarding permission to advertise for hunting lease bids for the approximately 310 wooded acres of board-owned property in Evangeline.
• approved the recommendation of the Personnel, Insurance and Curriculum committee to continue the Cooperative Extension 4-H Youth Development Agreement between the LSU AgCenter and the APSB for the period July 1, through June 30, 2025.
• approved the recommendation of the Budget and Finance Committee regarding approval of the Fiscal Year 2020-2021 Salary Book.
