EVSC board approves $281 million 2022 budget, including funds for teacher raises

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — The Evansville Vanderburgh County School Corporation's 2022 budget was approved by the school board of trustees Monday evening.

It budgets for $281,581,805 of proposed spending and $248,003,340 in anticipated revenue. 

The board voted 7-0 to approve the budget as well as the 2022-24 Capital Projects Plan and 2022-26 Bus Replacement Plan.

The EVSC is expecting about 4% more in state funding to the Education Fund portion of its budget from which teacher salaries and other education-related spending comes from.

The exact amount won't be known for several weeks when the school corporation's enrollment count for the 2021-22 school year is official. State education funding is distributed based on student enrollment.

More:EVSC school board will vote on $281 million budget Monday; here's how it breaks down

The Evansville Teachers Association and EVSC are set to begin collective bargaining negotiations Wednesday for the next two-year contract. The current contract began in 2019 and expired June 30 but remains in effect until a new contract is reached.

This spring an additional $1.9 billion in education spending was approved by the Indiana General Assembly. Teachers in the EVSC have said they hope it will be used to raise average teacher salaries closer to the $60,000 statewide average for the profession.

Starting pay for a teacher in the EVSC is $38,000 and the average pay is a little over $50,000 a year.

Bargaining with Teamsters Local 215 on a new contract for school support staff is already underway, EVSC spokesman Jason Woebkenberg said.

While on paper it includes more in proposed spending than revenue, the two will more closely align when implemented, Woebkenberg said.

That is because to appropriate funding, the state requires schools to budget the full amount of planned expenses such as capital improvements and bus replacement, even when there is no expectation that it will be fully funded.

As result, while the budget includes $29.7 million in school building improvements from EVSC's three-year Capital Projects Plan, only about $18.5 million funding for those is anticipated.

Similarly, while $16 million is budgeted for bus replacement, $2.3 million is what is actually expected to be available for it.

Spending in the 2022 budget is divided into two main funds, the Education Fund with $148,062,521 and Operations Fund with $33,113,474.

The Education Fund includes spending for items such as teacher salaries, school supplies and some school equipment. 

Items in the Operations Fund include $16.2 million for bus transportation and $16 million for bus replacement.

Also Monday, the board authorized Darryl Angermeier, EVSC's chief facilities officer, to seek bids for a program to reduce energy and operating costs by installing LED lighting in school facilities and technology to reduce water consumption.

Mark Wilson covers education and environment at the Courier & Press.