Crawford County R-1 Boosts Teacher Pay, But Concerns Linger Over Enrollment, Operational Costs

The Crawford County R-1 School Board in June passed a budget for the 2024-25 year.

While Superintendent Cole Byassee said the school is in good financial health, he cited several concerns with decreasing enrollment, increases in operational costs and more capital expenditures.

The district was able to give a slight boost to the pay of teachers and certified staff.

Bourbon has budgeted revenues of $11.6 million.

Included in this year’s budget is an increase to the teacher’s base pay by $1,500, raising it to $37,500.

Classified staff are receiving a 3 percent raise.

The budget also funds the district’s salary scales and provides professional development opportunities.

In his budget message, Byassee said the budget reflects reserve spending “due to a decrease in enrollment, capital project expenditures, increases in operational costs and salary/hourly increases.”

Byassee says the revenues are projected using moderately conservative numbers.

The district has budgeted increase expenditures where possible to account for inflation.

“If inflation continues to rise in the 2024-25 school year, adjustments to spending may be necessary,” Byassee wrote. 

Salaries for certified personnel reflect a one step move on the salary schedule. That includes a 4 percent increase in hourly wages for classified employees and a 3 percent increase to the administrative salary schedule.

Byassee wrote that certified staff and classified staff were hired “in accordance with projected student enrollment and needs of the district.”

Byassee’s budget message said the budget “is an ongoing process that gives financial direction to goals and priorities.” 

Attendance in the district has yet to reach pre-pandemic levels, but Byassee said targeted efforts are helping them remain steady.

“If enrollment declines in the future and there are continued increases in inflation and operational costs there will be a negative effect on revenues,” Byassee wrote. “This should be closely monitored.”

Enrollment was up year-over-year for the 2023-24 school year.

The district had 810 students, up from 799 the previous school year.

That is far below the 922 that were enrolled in 2019-20.

Stretching it even further out, enrollment has collapsed by nearly 200 students over the last 12 years.

In the 2012-2013 school year, Bourbon had 993 students. 

More than half the district’s students receive a free or reduced lunch.

In spite of that, Byassee said the district is financially healthy.

Byassee says 45.09 percent of the budget is from local property taxes; 39.85 percent from the state; 11.17 percent from the federal government and 3.86 percent from the county.