Vermilion Parish School System spent record $137 million

The audit report presented by Robert Carter of Kolder, Slaven & Company revealed that the Vermilion Parish School District achieved its highest revenue ever.
As a certified public accountant for the firm, Carter provided the School Board members with his annual Financial and Compliance Audit Report.
The report covers the fiscal year from June 30, 2022, to June 30, 2023, and indicates that the school district generated a total revenue of $137 million.
In 2019 and 2020, the school district collected $99 million. Revenue began to rise in 2021 ($113 million), 2022 ($119 million), and now 2023 ($137 million).

Where did the School District spend $137 million?

The school district allocated $87 million, which accounts for 63 percent of the budget, for salaries and school employee benefits.
The school district spent $61 million on salaries and $27 million on benefits.
Superintendent Tommy Byler has overseen an increase in salary spending from $79 million (salaries and benefits) in 2021 to $87 million in 2023 during his three-year tenure.
Additionally, an average of $24 million, equivalent to 19 percent of the school district’s budget, is being spent on repairing and maintaining school facilities.

Where did the extra $37 million come from?

Despite increases in property and sales taxes, the significant rise in revenue was not attributed to these factors.
Instead, the school district obtained $62 million from the state’s Minimum Foundation Program (MFP), which provides approximately $4,500 per student for educational expenses.
The MFP funding experienced a $4 million increase compared to the previous year.
In addition to the MFP funding, the school district received $40 million from property tax and $15 million from sales tax.
Moreover, all school districts in Louisiana were granted funds over a three-year period as part of the Education Stabilization Fund (ESSER) established by Congress. The purpose of the Education Stabilization Fund generally is to “prevent, prepare for, and respond to” COVID-19.
As indicated by Carter, Vermilion Parish received $37 million in grants during the previous fiscal year thanks to the ESSER federal grants.
In the year prior, the district received $29 million in federal grants, while in 2021, the amount decreased to $21 million. In 2019, the district received $19 million in federal grants.