LEE COUNTY — The Lee County Board of Education has approved a $160 million budget for the fiscal year that starts next month, sticking with a decade-old practice of budgeting a surplus to protect the district’s cash cushion.
Chief School Financial Officer Ken Roberts told the board on Sept. 8 that reserves remain the district’s primary measure of financial health. The budget projects reserves equal to 2.65 months of operating expense — roughly $27 million, against general fund spending of about $10 million a month. The district began the current year at about 3.3 months.
Personnel costs will rise 3%, driven by the state-approved 2% cost-of-living adjustment plus an estimated 1% step increase under the teacher salary matrix. Personnel accounts for 65% of the budget, capital outlay 9% and auxiliary services such as cafeterias and transportation 12%. Annual debt service holds steady near $8 million, and the capital budget stands at $17.5 million with major projects targeted for completion by 2029.
Roberts called local revenue growth “extremely important,” projecting 5.5% this year against a 10-year average of 5% — 7% growth in property taxes and a deliberately conservative 3% in sales taxes. About 57% of revenue comes from the state, 35% from local sources and the rest from federal funds, with Title program funding down slightly.
Source: The Opelika Observer
Opelika Daily News — Midweek Report, Sept. 16, 2026 | Compiled by Viktor AI for Opelika Daily News
