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The Andalusia City Schools Board of Education approved the system’s 2024 fiscal year budget after holding two public meetings last week. The budget was approved following the second public hearing held Thursday, Sept. 14.

The budget reflects total revenues and expenditures of approximately $24.18 million with just over 58 percent of the revenue coming from the state.

Most of the revenues for the school system comes from the state’s Education Trust Fund’s Foundation Program. The system is budgeted to receive $11.15 million from that fund, an increase of 4.6 percent over the 2023 budget.

In all, state funds account for $14.4 million, or 58.46 percent, of the Andalusia School System’s budgeted revenues for the ’24 fiscal year. Those funds are used to fund certain school programs as well as transportation, school nurses, technology coordinators, and more.

The system’s expense budget calls for $12.7 million, or 52.63 percent of total expenses, for instructional services, which includes teacher salaries. Instructional support is the next highest expense item at $3.5 million with Auxiliary Services costing $2.16 million and Operation and Maintenance budgeted at just under $2.03 million.

The system also budgeted just over $1 million for debt services and $620,000 for capital outlay.

Other revenues budgeted includes $4.28 from the federal government and another $4.867 million from local tax revenues.

Through the Education Trust Fund, the state provides the city schools with funds for 122.38 employees with 108.53 of those being teachers. The fund also provides some money for librarians, counselors, and administrators. Other state funds assist with employee salary expenses, including an additional 7.27 teachers as well as some certified and non-certified support staff.

Federal funds provide an additional 4.2 teachers and some funding for administrators and non-certified support staff.

Local funds provide for three teachers and two administrators.

In all, the city school system’s budget represents a total of 224 employees.

The ’24 fiscal year begins Oct. 1, 2023 and ends Sept. 30, 2024.