[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6205306,"mediaKeyId","3773278-18d9a30afe93f4d7d34d1d8e4f336ffa","parentId",3773278,"title","Kingsport board approves FY25–26 budget revision after city funding stays flat; district to use fund balance","audioSeconds",392,"startMs",2009000,"endMs",2401000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3773278-18d9a30afe93f4d7d34d1d8e4f336ffa&start=2009&end=2401","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3773278-18d9a30afe93f4d7d34d1d8e4f336ffa/thumbnail_2009000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6205306/Tennessee/Kingsport-board-approves-FY2526-budget-revision-after-city-funding-stays-flat-district-to-use-fund-balance","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6205306-c3d83a8dec6e7104c9ada960b3c0b95b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770929959&Signature=nB-GDka4Xb9aCQkI8-mfLqZtExONAqhlqjTG3LOrTAImo55D-glEzaGSK7TJSMukkTCOOO1K-LR~oMGfDoZ0a17Wa8eQ8DJVDHYLUHaRjtaROXSjEyU5Q3eV9wGSA~thzGn9C-XEFQv4XurNy4easZtLsftVEEcAzx83CTnd~btDWOB4NYqyCdb3Ws-cU--Au4c8-Rzoh4tAOznLELxIVQyplMbN2qfyCnN9GfQmhNTO~V9VCy0aNcZLqVthb5nb61OLmYcn5UlU7ucvgCI44H-CmlPpdKt3DlJxVmf5gLwR5LBSNJ~mQeQIv3eOEZ0f45f7WIjzpXyXjUsXjTu9YA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-06-11T21:16:04.387Z","article","The Kingsport City Schools Board on June 10 approved a revised fiscal year 2025–26 budget that keeps the district’s total general purpose appropriation at $105,002,300 but increases the planned draw on the district’s fund balance after the city did not approve a proposed funding increase.

David Fry (staff member) told the board the package the board approved in May anticipated an additional $1 million from the city of Kingsport. The Board of Mayor and Aldermen kept its transfer for operations at $11,245,300 rather than the $12,245,300 the schools had expected, creating a funding gap the district plans to cover in part from its fund balance.

“The general purpose budget is still $105,002,300,” Fry said, noting that the difference will increase the amount drawn from fund balance. Fry said the district’s June 30, 2024 fund balance was about $13.5 million and that, after prior appropriations and projected surpluses, the district expects to end the fiscal year with roughly $10.44 million. If the board approves the budget as revised, Fry said the district would project a beginning‑of‑year fund balance for FY26 of about $7,442,060, roughly 7% of the operating budget.

Fry outlined recent budget moves that have already reduced available reserves: about $1,485,000 in expenses were funded with leftover ESSER dollars, and the district has appropriated roughly $5.5 million since June 30. The packet shows the district is keeping a classified employee bonus funding line (about $600,000) and $300,000 for special education supports; Fry described the net change as increasing the planned fund‑balance use to roughly $2,072,400 for operations rather than the originally contemplated lower amount.

Under state guidance cited in the meeting, the Tennessee Department of Education does not allow boards to appropriate fund balance below a minimum threshold; Fry noted the district’s projected 7% level remains above the commonly observed 3% guideline.

Superintendent Doctor Hampton (Superintendent) used his remarks after the vote to urge community advocacy and outlined planned outreach. He said sales‑tax adjustments and other near‑term uncertainties could reduce projected surpluses and that the district will produce a one‑page “fast facts” document showing the funding shortfall and the effect of a recent county decision on property‑tax distributions.

“We are going to be pretty vocal about this topic,” Doctor Hampton said, saying he and staff will share materials with parent groups, booster organizations, elected officials and community leaders. He described a recent Sullivan County Commission vote to reduce the percentage of property taxes allocated to education — a decision he said affected all three Sullivan County school systems — and encouraged residents to contact county commissioners or consider running for office.

Board members noted the difficulty of finding recurring savings without affecting personnel or extracurricular programs, saying non‑people costs such as travel and professional learning have limited potential to cover a $1.5 million shortfall. The board voted to approve the revised budget; a motion to approve the amended Kingsport City Schools fiscal year 2025–26 budget passed by voice vote.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Kingsport City Schools Board of Education Meeting: 6.10.25","oneSentenceSummary","The board approved the district’s revised FY25–26 budget, keeping the total appropriation unchanged at about $105 million but increasing the planned use of fund balance after the city held its contribution flat; Superintendent Hampton warned deeper cuts could affect staff and programs.","taxTitle","Kingsport, School Districts, Tennessee","taxId",38545,"location","Tennessee","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6205310,"Kingsport City Schools board approves minor revisions to random drug-testing procedures",900,575000,1475000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3773278-18d9a30afe93f4d7d34d1d8e4f336ffa&start=575&end=1475","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3773278-18d9a30afe93f4d7d34d1d8e4f336ffa/thumbnail_575000.jpg","/articles/6205310/Tennessee/Kingsport-City-Schools-board-approves-minor-revisions-to-random-drug-testing-procedures","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6205310-1ff1449f6c75d762228c61639a8b2b7f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770929959&Signature=ZskuURgK-9p7G1XpeCr9WCvuJCZp9cCaA6jV6Iv7JCOjJ6NGoSGpgOmawWcdqNtzb6aBROyx3XJEp0~ILhSO1H3dbhfdfqm9mKoOJovuUsZdHmkqLUHVnn6tqciHvbULbeZ2XOdpq-IWji-uSDZpQ2Pd8uSPSKgX5Kg2EDZMwfWAdxEGMCjKv1tZPVzJhTQJxtXMMJp4DMBwUNsriCwaLORxYJIrAMlvsBpvNnc3q6vXiXd4nUaEV70l21XRDxZITubL1gl1-MqDQ7MQPHcJa8HvPZjtdTAAS7tuWA0FJquKstM3Q9-rOM6fPKB0nMtWxfnCF8Zb71xMImCNIr4FCQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Kingsport City Schools trustees on June 10 approved modest revisions to the district's random drug-testing regulations, clarifying when students must be re-tested after absences, how work-based learning placements are handled, and when suspension timelines begin following a confirmed positive result.

The changes, presented by Doctor Andy True (staff member), codify procedures administrators said they have applied informally during the first year of the program and are intended to reduce confusion for families, staff and vendors.

Administrators said the revisions add specific examples of what counts as “not in school” on a selected testing day — including field trips, sports travel and academic placements — and state that students in an academic-related off-campus placement (such as a work-based learning internship) should be notified to return to campus for testing if feasible. The policy also clarifies that illness confirmed by KCS nursing personnel will be treated as an allowable absence and that, if a student is unavailable, the student will be included on the next scheduled testing date.

Doctor Andy True said the changes are “not really substantial changes” but reflect situations the district encountered during the program’s first year and help standardize responses across schools. He told the board that Mr. Nash will present a fuller report on the drug-testing program with data at next month’s meeting.

Board members focused discussion on three operational points: when the clock begins on disciplinary consequences; the distinction between an initial non‑negative screen and a confirmed positive result; and how to treat students who withdraw and later return while under an assigned testing schedule. The revisions establish that the 14‑day suspension from voluntary extracurricular activities begins on the date a medical review officer verifies a positive result, rather than on the test date or the date a family is notified.

Board member questions prompted administrators to explain terminology used by the testing vendor — for example, that a “non‑negative” result indicates the presence of a substance pending review and that medication or testing irregularities can produce a non‑negative that is not ultimately judged a policy violation. Administrators also said an adulterated sample is treated as a positive under the procedures.

The packet included a moved appeals provision (relocated for clarity into the appeal section) and a clarification that if a student is required to complete a series of tests (for example, the “next three” tests) and withdraws after one test, upon return the student is required to complete the remaining tests in that sequence.

The recommended motion to approve the proposed revisions for the 2025–26 school year passed on a board vote. The board directed staff to present Mr. Nash’s data report on the program at the July meeting.

The revisions will be implemented for the upcoming fall testing cycle; the board and staff said they expect to review the procedures annually and make further technical adjustments if needed.","The Kingsport City Schools Board approved clarified language for its random drug-testing regulations — specifying how absences, work-based placements and verification dates affect testing and consequences — and asked for a fuller data report next month.","actionData","errors"]

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Kingsport board approves FY25–26 budget revision after city funding stays flat; district to use fund balance

Kingsport City Schools board approves minor revisions to random drug-testing procedures