The Brighton Board of Education Monday night adopted a budget of $74.1 million for the 2018-19 fiscal year beginning July 1. The board also approved a revised 2017-18 budget of $72.9 million. So although enrollment is projected to be relatively flat at about 6,000 in-house students, district spending is projected to go up by $1.2 million.

Superintendent Greg Gray says the extra dollars will go for such items as the purchase of buses, new school boilers, implementing the new Science curriculum and bringing in science coaches to train teachers in the new curriculum. Gray tells WHMI that due to the district being frugal in its spending, Brighton is expecting to have a nearly $5 million fund equity by the end of the current fiscal year this Saturday.

Assistant Superintendent for Business and Finance Maria Gistinger says the district has enough funds safely tucked away that, even in the event of an economic downturn, its finances would continue to be in good order.

Gistinger says Brighton keeps on improving its fund equity, and estimates that the 18-19 budget year starting July 1 will show a fund balance of $5.8 million by the end of the fiscal year – a nearly $1 million increase. One of the big reasons for the district’s improving finances is the Shared Services program, in which school districts can offer classes with certified teachers in non-core curriculum subject areas to private and parochial schools.

Brighton receives the state aid for each student, and for the 18-19 year is expected to have 2,000 full-time equivalent Shared Services students, resulting in about $15 million in revenue and a net profit of about $2 million after paying for teachers’ salaries, classroom materials, insurance and other expenses. (TT)