SWAN QUARTER — Hyde County Schools is seeking more local funding for the 2017-2018 fiscal year.

At the Hyde County Board of Commissioners/Board of Education joint meeting on April 3, Hyde County Schools Superintendent Randolph Latimore presented the school system’s budget request for the next fiscal year.

The request totaled almost $1.75 million, which is 10.9 percent more funding than the school district received this fiscal year, according to a memorandum Latimore sent to Hyde County Manager Bill Rich in late March.

The school district’s largest funding need falls under instructional services, which includes the newly proposed amount needed to hire another fifth-grade teacher, as well as money to cover state-mandated salary increases and benefits.

Hyde County Board of Education estimates an additional teacher would cost $66,202, including salary, retirement and health insurance. Five-percent raises for teachers and 2-percent raises for teaching assistants would cost the board more than $10,000, according to Hyde County Schools’ proposed budget. The school system also seeks local funding for two art teachers and two teaching assistants whose positions are not covered with state money.

Another increased funding request refers to flood insurance for school buildings not covered at this time.

The Board of Education is requesting an additional $31,769 this year for the purpose of adding insurance to three buildings on Ocracoke and two buildings at Mattamuskeet, according to the memorandum. More than $188,000 was allotted for insurance purposes this fiscal year.

County commissioners are starting the process of nailing down a 2017-2018 budget, of which Hyde County Schools is only a part. The new fiscal year begins July 1.

“My finance officer and I have been meeting with department heads and receiving requests from outside agencies,” Rich said in an email.

He said a budget workshop is scheduled for May 8, and he will present the manager’s recommended budget at that workshop. The final budget vote is slated for June 5.