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NILES CHARTER TOWNSHIP — The Brandywine school district has a new budget after board members gave their stamp of approval to the proposed 2025-26 budget at their meeting Monday night. Board members also heard from district administrators and learned that Brandywine came in second in a state safer driving contest.

      Brandywine High School came in second in the state’s Strive 4 A Safer Drive program. School Resource Officer Amber McGaffigan and high school students spoke to the board last month about their efforts to create safer routes to the district’s schools. The students have met all year to discuss school traffic safety issues.

McGaffigan said the ultimate goal is to apply for a $900,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Transportation’s Safe Routes to School/Michigan Fitness program in the future. Possible projects include lighting and sidewalk improvements around Brandywine Elementary School, Brandywine Middle/Senior High School and Merritt Elementary School.

      The Strive 4 A Safer Drive program is a teen driving initiative presented by the Ford Philanthropy Foundation and the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning.

With the budget, board members approved both the new budget for the fiscal year starting July 1 as well as the third and final budget amendment of the 2024-25 year. Assistant Superintendent Ray Wilburn presented information about the new budget and the budget amendment at the board’s June 9 meeting.

He said earlier this month that the final general fund budget amendment has revenue set at $18.711 million and expenditures at $18.54 million for a surplus of $171,000.

With the 2025-26 general fund budget, he has budgeted conservatively with no increase in state aid among other things. He has set revenue at $17,881,420 and expenditures at $18,679,120 for a deficit of $797,700. He noted that he included no raises for staff and a five percent “haircut” in state funding in the new budget.

If those numbers stay the same through the 2025-26 year, the district would end the year with a fund balance of $3.4 million which represents 18.23 percent of fund equity.

Welburn noted that the board has set a goal of the district having a fund balance of at least 15 percent of expenditures. He said the district administration strives to have that percentage level at 20 percent or more.

In other business Monday, board members heard year-end reports from district principals and administrators, approved annual resolutions and hired four teachers.