The Limestone County School Board approved the 2018 fiscal year school with a majority vote Wednesday.

The budget was approved in a 5-1 vote, with board member Ronald Christ, who represents District 3, dissenting.

The expected total revenue for the upcoming year’s budget is $91.3 million. Expenditures are $83.6, which leaves a surplus of $7.7 million.

Thirty percent of the school’s revenues comes from local sources, including county sales and ad valorem taxes. The largest portion comes from the state, which provides for 61 percent of the budget. Eight percent comes from federal sources.

The budget divides expenditures seven ways. Three percent goes toward debt, another 3 percent to administrative costs, 8 percent is slated for operations and maintenance, 13 percent covers instructional support and auxiliary services take up 14 percent of the budget. By far the largest piece of the percentage goes toward instructional costs at 58 percent. Instructional costs include activities dealing directly with the interaction between teachers and students and include teacher salaries and benefits. The amount designated for instruction dropped about $2.2 million since the 2017 budget.

“The decrease is based on student enrollment number and possibly is a result of the lawsuit,” Earl Glaze, a member of the school board, said, referring to a lawsuit over which school district should collect tax revenue earmarked for education from those who live in Madison-annexed Limestone County.

“Overall I’m pleased with the budget,” Glaze added. “But I am disappointed in the fact that we have cut some of our technology money from the budget. Certain grade levels were supposed to get laptops and now they will have to wait.”

Parking fee issue

Elsewhere Tuesday, a motion to increase gate prices at sporting events and establish football game parking fees failed to reach a quorum but will be revisited at the next board meeting on Oct. 3.

Transportation Director Rusty Bates asked the board to approve a policy that would authorize the six high schools in the system to charge parking fees at inner county games and to set the fees at either $3 or $5. He also proposed that schools increase entrance fees at sporting events to help generate revenue.

The motion, which was presented by Superintendent Dr. Tom Sisk, was rejected by the board, and he withdrew the motion. The issues will be voted on as two separate motions at the Oct. 3 board meeting.