HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – The Christian County Board of Education approved their working budget for the 2026-27 school year which includes a comparatively lower $72.7 million in the general fund. This budget incorporates the previously approved salary schedule revision with a 1% increase in pay for all full-time employees.
The general fund is slightly lower than previous years; last school year it was at $78 million, and in 2024 it was $79 million. Revenue allocations were broken down by CCPS Director of Finance Jessica Darnell, who explained that 46.1% of the district’s funding is coming from Support Education Excellence in Kentucky (SEEK) funding, totaling around $33.5 million.
With $10 million in carryover from last fiscal year adding to the revenue, $26.2 million of the general fund, will come from taxes. The board recently approved a one cent increase to their property tax rate of 40.0 cents per $100 of assessed property to increase overall revenue by 4%.
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Breakdown of expenditures, grant money, contingency
When it comes to how the money will be spent this school year, Darnell’s presentation showed that 43% of the general fund budget goes directly toward instruction. This category encompasses everything from teacher salaries and benefits to supplies and services. Darnell said, “We are in the business of education so we should be spending that on instruction.”
The second largest chunk of the general fund, 14.7%, goes toward the category of “plant” which encompasses the cost of utilities for all campuses and buildings including electricity, water, and maintenance.
CCPS was able to secure over $4.6 million in state grants this fiscal year to support specific operations, which is an increase from last year. An additional $9.1 million in federal grants was also budgeted. Darnell said grant funds are usually pretty level and do not often fluctuate from year to year.
Once again, the district has a healthy contingency budgeted, which makes up 10% of their general fund. It is required that schools have at least 2% in their contingency and 5% is recommended.
Approval of budget, CCHS construction contingency
Present councilmembers unanimously approved the working budget. Rebecca Pepper was absent for the meeting, and the district five seat is currently vacant. The budget will now be submitted to the Kentucky Department of Education.
Unrelated to the working budget, as contracts begin to wrap up for construction of the new Christian County High School, there is still around $2.7 million in that contingency fund. As discussed during the meeting, this money legally cannot be moved into the general fund and must stay in a construction fund for possible future projects at the conclusion of the project.
The project is nearly 96% paid off, with budgeted payments still being made to contractors and architects on the project.
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