An approved budget Thursday by the Selma City School Board received mixed reviews from members of the board.

The $2.3 million budget, Selma City, which was opposed by board member Holland Powell before being approved by the rest of the board, offers several challenges to the system, Selma City Schools superintendent Dr. Don Jefferson said.

“Any time you face proration for three years in a row, it is going to really hurt finances simply because you are having to deal with the budget cuts and unfunded mandates as well,” Jefferson said. “A lot of times we have been asked to do things with no funds, yet the state says we have to do them and that money has to come from somewhere. We also have Selma High School, which is in the third year of not making AYP and in the second year of school improvement.”

Jefferson said the system is in year two of school improvement, which means the state requires the system to set aside 20 percent of its Title I budget, which is $400,000, for supplemental education services. Because the district didn’t make AYP due to short-comings  in the special needs category, they have to take 10 percent more from the budget, which is $200,000.

“You have already eliminated $600,000 from a budget that was only $2.3 million,” he said. “The majority of it is for pre-K students, $1.5 million. Add $600,000 to that and you have lost $2.1 million right there.”

Powell said the figures are disturbing.

“I know we have to pass this budget, but the only reason I am going to vote no is because I believe it to be unsustainable to have a budget deficit over $1 million for the year,” Powell said. “While that may not be completely the fault of the Selma City Schools, I am hoping that during the year this board will take action to find at least half of the budget deficit reduction so we don’t break this system.”

The budget lists $21,513,743.21 in state revenues, along with $6,079,006.59 federal, $5,417,610 local and $292,256 in other revenues for a total of $33,302,615.89.

Expenditures are listed at $17,052,196.50 for instructional services, $5,064,837 for instructional support services, $3,427,571 for operations and maintenance, $3,796,330.15 for auxiliary services, $1,583,445 for general administrative services, $20,154,263.94 for capital outlay, $1,574,215.49 for debt services, and $1,715,826.44 for other expenditures for a total of $54,368,685.52.

Other fund sources are listed as $1,451,236.50 and 967,217 for other fund uses which leaves $484,019.50.

The best defense against future issues, Jefferson said, is higher test scores.

“It behooves us to make sure, first of all, that all of our schools make AYP,” Jefferson said. “Secondly, we have to be thorough to make sure we are good stewards of the taxpayers’ dollars. We are going to do that. You can look at our budget and you can’t see anywhere we are wasting money.”