Board passes interim budget

The Alleghany County Board of Education last week passed an interim budget resolution for 2003-04 rather than a current-expense budget.

The board convened its regular monthly meeting for July on June 30, the eve of the new fiscal year. With no budget passed by the state, Finance Officer Karen Leys said, "We do not have enough base information for a final budget resolution."

Later, while the board was in closed session, news came that the state had enacted a 2003-05 budget. However, Leys said, it would be at least a couple of weeks before information is organized and disseminated indicating what moneys local school systems will receive.

By a separate vote, the board approved revisions to the 2002-03 budget. Those changes brought the total Alleghany County Schools (ACS) budget for the year to $12,997,850, with $12,171,496 in current operating expenses and the remaining $826,354 in capital outlays.

More than two-thirds of the schools' operating budget comes from state sources. Of the current expense total for 2002-03, $8,955,713 is in the state fund, $2,451,917 in the local fund and $763,866 in the federal fund.

Under the interim budget resolution, funds will be appropriated from anticipated 2003-04 revenues to pay employees' salaries and other operating expenses of the school system until a final budget resolution is adopted.

At that time, expenditures made during the interim period will be charged to the appropriate accounts in the final budget.

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