An exterior view of the Daegu Metropolitan Office of Education. [Daegu Metropolitan Office of Education]
An exterior view of the Daegu Metropolitan Office of Education. [Daegu Metropolitan Office of Education]

The Daegu Metropolitan Office of Education has submitted a first supplementary budget for 2026 to the Daegu Metropolitan Council, raising total spending by 359.9 billion won ($238 million) to 4.6175 trillion won, the office announced Sunday.

The additional revenue comes primarily from central government transfers — including local education grants tied to the national supplementary budget — totaling 375.2 billion won, bringing the overall increase to 359.9 billion won, or 8.5 percent of the original budget of 4.2576 trillion won.

The supplementary spending plan focuses on easing the financial burden on schools, narrowing the education gap, strengthening student learning activities, upgrading aging facilities and creating safer learning environments.

Some 57 billion won has been set aside to help schools cope with rising fuel costs and inflation driven by the war in the Middle East.

Of that, 30.2 billion won will go toward basic operating costs — including utility bills and cafeteria fuel — for all public and private schools and public kindergartens, while an additional 1.5 billion won will support field trips at private kindergartens.

Another 28.7 billion won will fund after-school and extended-care programs as well as welfare support for vulnerable groups including low-income families and multicultural students, along with integrated student support services. A further 43.9 billion won will strengthen tailored education programs covering foundational learning, special education, early childhood education and vocational training.

The office also allocated 38.1 billion won to continue space-renovation projects at schools more than 40 years old, building future-oriented campuses that blend learning, rest and play, and upgrading facilities to match each school's curriculum needs.

The supplementary budget will go before the Daegu Metropolitan Council's 325th extraordinary session, running from June 9 to June 18, for deliberation and final approval.

"This supplementary budget was drawn up with a focus on providing stable support to schools amid high inflation and economic uncertainty, while reinforcing student-tailored services and safer learning environments," said Kim Tae-hoon, deputy superintendent of the Daegu Metropolitan Office of Education.


kbj7653@heraldcorp.com