The Fulton Public School District is holding a special meeting this evening to discuss next year's budget, among other issues.
The meeting, which will take place in the Fulton High School Commons, begins at 7 p.m.
The board will vote on the adoption of the Fiscal Year 2021 budget. The proposed budget includes $954,514 in expenses over revenues in the operating fund.
While the state funding situation is still unclear, the district's plan is built on a revenue breakdown of 39.58 percent local and county funding, 26.39 percent state funding, 5.92 percent federal funding and 28.11 percent other funding.
In total, 77.62 percent of expenses will go toward instruction and support services. The district's greatest expense is salaries and benefits - $19,790,347.
The timing of coaching stipend payments will be back before the board. Currently, stipends are paid out over the course of a year. The district is considering switching to payment over the course of two months instead - this would not change the amount coaches are paid, simply the timing.
The plan would give the district more flexibility in the event of a school closure or if a stipend recipient resigns prior to completing the season.
The issue was tabled at a meeting earlier this month because the board wanted to hear feedback from those who would be impacted before making a decision.
According to meeting documents, a survey was sent out to 63 individuals. Of the 42 who responded, 73.8 percent preferred the current 12-month pay plan.
Also on the agenda is the issue of whether or not the Fulton Public School Foundation is a component unit of the school district. If so, it will need to be audited for the school district to receive its own clean audit.
In May, foundation president Jane Bell told the board an audit would be a considerable expense for the foundation. As a result, the board sought the opinion of the Van Matre Law firm.
In a letter to the district, the firm explained a component unit is defined by three factors: whether the foundation's economic resources are entirely or almost entirely for the benefit of the school district, whether the school district is entitled to or has the ability to access a majority of the economic resources held by the foundation, and whether the foundation's economic resources are significant to the school district.
The letter claims the first two criteria are met 99 percent of the time. It is up to the district's auditor to determine the answer to the third question, whether foundation's resources are "significant," based on either an annual audit or raw financial data.
At the meeting, the board will determine whether the foundation should have an audit done and how that audit should be funded.