The Cumberland County Board of Education approved more than $1.29 million in budget changes on Thursday, including allocating $1 million for school capital projects.
The funding, approved during the board’s Budget/Finance Committee meeting on Thursday, will go directly to individual schools for facility-related expenses, using the district’s fund balance. District leaders described the funds as a shift toward giving schools more control over their own building needs.
How Schools Can Use the $1 Million
The largest portion of the funding—$1,000,003—was approved for capital outlay, which means facility-related expenses such as building repairs, renovations, furniture, equipment, and infrastructure upgrades.
According to district officials, the funding marks a return to a model that allows schools to manage their own facility needs rather than relying on a centralized district list of projects.
“That money flows to the schools directly,” said Jay Toland, the school district’s associate superintendent of business operations. “Think of things like pressure washing, painting, furniture—things like that.”
Toland said schools can prioritize needs based on their own campus conditions.
How the Money Is Distributed
Toland said each school received a base allocation of $10,000, with the remaining funds distributed based on average daily membership (ADM), meaning schools with higher student enrollment received larger shares.
“Each school got $10,000, and the difference between that and the million dollars was divided by ADM,” Toland said. “So the number of children is how we allocated that.”
Other Funding Approvals
In addition to capital funding, the board approved $244,906 in federal grant carryover money for the Adolescent Youth Positive Networking program, which supports academic enrichment and youth development services for students.
The board also approved $46,684 in new federal allotments, including $46,678 for Career and Technical Education and $6 for IDEA preschool special education services, which support students with disabilities under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
On January 13, the school board approved a $1.3 million boost to funding for special education programs.
