By JIM BUTLER

The School Board anticipates dipping into its General Fund unrestricted balance for about $1.2 million to cover costs for the year ending next June 30.

Should that figure hold, the fund balance would be a tad over $46 million at the fiscal year conclusion, or about 18 percent of total General Fund revenue for the year.

Public hearing on the budget proposal will be on August 19 at 4:55 pm.

The revenue estimates, totaling $249.75 million, compare to actual income of $250.99 million in the year ending this past June 30, reflect conservative projections for renewable property tax revenue growth, 2 percent to $22.7 million, and sales tax growth, 1.81 percent to $18.6 million.

The State Public School Fund contribution is essentially standstill at $138.51 million.

Substantive hits to the fund are a $1 million decline in transfer of indirect costs to $2 million and a $900,000 drop, to $7 million, in other restricted revenues.

Details of those forecasts could be included in the budget message the board receives from the administration at the public hearing.

General Fund spending is projected at $252.13 million, about 86 percent of that payroll expense Wages and salaries require $147.3 million, with teachers accounting for $96.4 million.

Group health insurance for all employees will cost $40 million and retirement system contributions another $30.4 million.

The overall budget includes a number of individual school district maintenance funds as well special services funds. Those accounts are not reflected in the General Fund unless a transfer is involved.

Not in the overall budget is the Head Start/Early Head Start Fund, eliminated when the system in late July lost its bid to renew the program’s five-year grant.

That grant was $3.69 million in the year ended June 30.

It paid $1.4 million for teachers, $293,000 for therapists/specialists/counselors, $235,000 for officials/administrators, and $426,000 for instructional staff services.

A $541,000 grant paid for the program’s food services.

Save the Children now operates the program in Rapides.