The Lincoln County School District board of trustees on Monday approved a $28.8 million budget for the 2015-2016 school year. The school district did not request an increase in millage rate.

The budget will provide $6,378 in spending per pupil and includes state-mandated teacher pay raises. The budget has higher expenditures than expected revenue by about $3.7 million. However, the district is expected to have a $29.4 million fund balance at the beginning of the fiscal year.

A large portion of the fund balance (about $15 million) includes money earned from 16th section land, which legally must be put in a trust and cannot be spent. The accrued interest, however, can be used by the district.

The district also has several major construction projects in the works, including a football complex at Loyd Star, cafeteria update and parking lot work at Enterprise. LCSD Superintendent Terry Brister said there are also several small projects at each school, including putting up partitions to turn some classrooms into two classrooms. Future projects include a look at the baseball field at Loyd Star, particularly the lighting.

LCSD Business Manager Cheryl Shelby also told the board that the district has the money to revisit the idea for a new central office complex that had been suggested a few years ago. She said the district could use the extra space as well as create a technology center and conference center.