The North Little Rock School Board on Thursday approved a 2022-23 budget that anticipates $114.4 million in revenue and $111.1 million in expenses.
The board adopted the new budget without discussion at its monthly business meeting. Superintendent Gregory Pilewski noted that the board had previously discussed components of the annual financial plan at an earlier board workshop.
The board also voted Thursday to transfer some $13.8 million from its operating fund balances to the district's building fund, leaving what is a standard annual $12.8 million in operating fund balances as a cushion for the coming school year.
The North Little Rock district and all Arkansas school districts are to submit their fiscal year 2023 budgets to the Arkansas Department of Education by the end of the month.
Of the projected $111.1 million in expenses, almost $83 million is earmarked for all employee-related salaries and benefits in a district where the starting teacher salary is $37,750 and the top salary on the teacher salary schedule is $70,900 for teachers with 23 years of experience and a doctorate degree.
The projected employee-related expenses compare to $79.6 million that was budgeted for this past year and actual employee expenses of $78.2 million.
Year-to- year increases in line-item expenditures for the coming year include an increase for diesel fuel. The district budgeted $288,000 for the fuel, up from $274,000 budgeted for this past year and $274,300 actually spent.
The district's revenues include about $ 41,132,830 from local sources, plus $47 million from state sources and almost $25.7 million from federal government sources.