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By NOAH WORTHAM | Staff Writer

ALABASTER – The Alabaster City Schools Board of Education has passed a $76.5 million budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

The board approved the budget during a regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, Sept. 11 after holding its second public hearing on the matter.

“I would like to thank everyone (who worked) on it,” Board Member Dr. John Myrick said. “It is a healthy-looking budget, thank you very much.”

The fiscal year 2024 budget will run from Sunday, Oct. 1 until Sept. 30, 2024.

Some budget highlights from the fiscal year 2024 budget include

• Construction of a new central office
• Construction of a new ACES alternative school building
• District wide air conditioning upgrades
• The purchase of five new school buses
• District wide athletic facility upgrades
• Thompson Middle School classroom upgrades
• Creek View Elementary classroom upgrades
• District wide safety upgrades.

As passed, the budget includes $76,555,592.55 in general fund revenues with $74,618,516.83 in general fund expenditures.

“I want to compliment Ed (Roberson) and his staff and all those that worked on the budget,” Superintendent Dr. Wayne Vickers said.

Included in the budget is $7,200,000 in funds from the city of Alabaster that were earmarked from the 1 percent sales tax to give to the school system.

As part of the budget, the board approved a list of capital projects which concerns “dream projects” the board would like to get done which will be detailed at a later date.

“The capital plan is non-binding but it is a vision and nothing happens without a vision,” BOE Vice President Derek Henderson said. “Everything that we’ve done over the last few years, I think it’s wonderful some of the things we thought about and it happened and that’s not by magic.”

In other news, the Alabaster City Schools Board of Education approved the following items on the agenda:

• Out-of-state field trip requests
• Alabaster City Board of Education and Developing Youth Day (DAY Program) Foundation
• 2023-2024 proposed revisions to salary schedule
• Microsoft software and product renewal
• Technology purchase –  server upgrade for cameras
• Technology purchase – security additions
• Appetegy and Alabaster City Schools Master Services Agreement
• Financial statements, payroll, bank reconciliations and pay app #35
• Personnel actions

After the completion of the agenda, Dr. Vickers addressed the board and those in attendance.

“I’m very proud of where we are now and I’m proud of this board for believing in us and providing resources and taking time—this was a big agenda tonight—taking the time to review it,” Vickers said. “You’re ready when you get in here so that we can take care of the business that we need to. So, I’m very grateful to each of you.”