Opp City Schools will operate on an $11.9 million budget for the 2012-2013 fiscal year, if the board approves it at the September board meeting.

The budget is comparable to last year’s $11.9 million budget, but the system will receive around $300,000 more from the state and will contribute $200,000 more in local funds than last year.

OCS chief financial officer Linda Banks is projecting a $3.62 million beginning fund balance on Oct. 1, and a $3.77 million ending balance on Sept. 30, 2013, she said.

Banks said each year the system tries to save around 15 percent from the general fund to help build up savings.

At Tuesday night’s board meeting, Banks told the board that the system, as of July, has 3.3 months of operating costs in reserve.

The state department of education requires that each school system maintain one month’s operating reserve, which for the OCS is $781,000.

Banks said Wednesday that it’s possible that the amount of reserves could decrease in the last two months of the fiscal year, but she does not anticipate it going below three months by the start of the fiscal year.

OCS is projecting revenues of $7.8 million in state funds; $1.2 million in federal allocations and $2.9 million in local funds.

Banks said the system has budgeted some $7.55 million for classroom instruction and support, which includes teachers, aides and counselors, to name a few.

It has also budgeted $1.39 million for operations and maintenance, which includes janitorial staff, supplies, utilities and insurance; $1.22 million for auxiliary services, which includes bus and lunchroom and equipment services; $627,000 for administrative services for all expenses at the central office, including salaries; and $10,000 for capital outlay.

Banks said that maintenance money would be used to pay for improvements at Opp High School’s vocational building.

$805,018 has been budgeted for debt service on Opp Elementary School, the OHS roof project, Channel-Lee Stadium renovations and buses; and $301,059 has been budgeted for other expenditures, which includes the RaceTrack afterschool program and OCS preschool program.

Budget hearings for the Andalusia and Covington County school systems will be held in the coming weeks.

State law mandates that school budgets be submitted to the state education department no later than Sept. 15.