The new fiscal year is coming for the Polk School District, and board members will have a lot to decide on the line items for revenue and expenditures going into work and regular sessions.

What is being sought in revenue and expenditure projects are for the moment just numbers on a sheet of paper, but will become official one way or another as the PSD administration has put together line items that total up to $74 million in revenue from local and state sources, and $90+ million in spending if the figures hold true.

Local property taxes will account for $14 million of the revenues per the budget’s tentative figures. Additional local sources will account for $2.8 million and change of the total revenue for the budget this year as well. But the majority of the $74 million is coming from state source – more than $57.5 million or 77.4% of the budget’s income is funded at the state level.

The District is tentatively asking to spend $90.8 million and change this year in expenditures, just under 70% of that accounting for salaries for educators. School administration accounts for another $5.7 million of the spending, $4.1 million in transportation (fuel costs make up a large amount of that, as well as bus driver salaries,) and more than $8.9 million is being spent on maintenance.

If all the money is spent – and that is a big IF – PSD will be left with an ending balance of just over $4.7 million of the surplus built up over several years. The balance headed into the start of the new fiscal year totals up to $21.1 million.

Here’s the full budget as presented during the May work session:

One thing to keep in mind: budgets change throughout the year, and much of the estimates of instructional costs are based on projections for hiring of teachers coming up for the 2023-24 academic year.

Some of those spots might not be filled, or not be as costly as projected in salary requirements for all educators across the district. Additional savings might also be found throughout the year in other areas, say with fluctuations in the price of gas less or more might be spent in transportation than initially projected.

Two public hearings are required for the budget before approval during the June regular session. Expect those during the June 6 work session, and ahead of the budget’s approval during the June 13 regular session.

If approved by the Board of Education, the new budget goes into effect on July 1.