The Butler County Area Vocational-Technical School increased its expenditures about $464,000 this year.

CPA Mark Turnley provided an audit report to the school's Joint Operating Committee in a virtual meeting Thursday.

According to Turnley, the biggest increases to the school's expenses include employee salary and benefits, and purchasing supplies and equipment necessary for instruction.

Despite the increases in expenditures, school business manager Rebekah Davis said the school was able to save money by being “fiscally prudent,” and not doing a surplus of spending.

“When the pandemic hit, it was kind of a 'let's pump the brakes on the spending,'” Davis said. “It's a combination of always being very conscious of every expenditure that we make as well as some of the unexpected circumstances that come along.”

Davis also said some of the changes within the school helped save money, such as the turnover of staff and state funding.

“The employee turnover and sometimes having a hard time filling those positions, I would say those are bigger items,” Davis said. “We have been having an increase in our state funding.”