The new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools, Tim Brown, presented a timeline for putting together the 2025 school district budget Wednesday. However, there were several comments by the public before his presentation.
During the public comment period, which is held at the beginning of the meeting, several speakers criticized the budget timeline’s last entry – “Pass resolution establishing the monthly transfer amounts from Education Fund to Operations Fund.” They argued this could be a method for the district to claim poverty when contract negotiations with the local teachers union, the Hamilton Southeastern Education Association, begin in mid-September. Teachers compensation can only be paid from the Education Fund.
Brown told the board transfers from the Education Fund to the Operations Fund has happened before and is “standard practice.”
Brown’s timeline calls for the first high-level overview of the budget to be presented to the school board Finance Committee September 10. On September 25, Brown will provide preliminary budget recommendations to the board in a work session. A public hearing will be held on the spending plan October 9, with a final board vote on the 2025 district budget set for October 23.
Public schools are service industries. As such, the single largest block of money in the general fund is needed for professional salaries. In most districts this level is 90% plus. Parents and grandparents know that the single most important thing for their young ones is a great teacher. HSE should use as many resources possible to recruit, train, and retain great teachers. In a district that proports to put children first by policy, they need to follow that goal in the budgeting process.
Completely agree James. I know that Riverside Intermediate lost 2 double advanced teachers the week before school started and they were replaced by a teacher who hasn’t been in a classroom for nearly a decade and one that has been an IA for the majority of their short career in teaching. I hope these 2 individual and do the job well and not hinder the growth of some of Riverside’s most accomplished students, but I have my doubts. The current school board and the overhaul in HSE leadership has led to some brain drain.