Highlights
- Comparable classroom sizes to this year provided through reduction of increase to student-teacher ratios to .5 rather than 1.0 and use of Title I funds to pay for 71 teachers.
- General Fund Budget includes about $19.5 million in Federal Stabilization Funds. The State Supreme Court is expected to rule soon whether the Governor can refuse to accept the funds.
- No tax increase. (Note: School system qualifies for a 7.1 mill tax increase based on the State formula that considers the consumer price index and county population growth.)
- General Fund Budget is $7.4 million LESS than this year’s original budget EVEN with additional costs of $4.6 million for State mandated expenditures and $1.5 million for additional teachers to serve an expected increase of 600 students.
The proposed 2009-10 General Fund Budget was accepted for second reading by the Board of Trustees. The proposed $444 million budget includes expenditures for state mandated increases and local requirements, and reductions totaling about $8.3 million that are in addition to the $27.6 million already cut in this year’s budget.
Important Changes from First Reading of the Budget
- Reduction of teaching positions decreased to a total of 79.5 (.5 increase from 1.0 increase to pupil-teacher ratios, above-baseline positions, and adjustment for student population changes) nearly offset by use of Title I Federal Stabilization Funds for 71 teaching positions.
- $640,000 for State-required Student Database Software will be paid by the State.
- Amount of cut for positions to reduce class size reduced from $810,000 to $170,000.
- Revenue projections increased $3.9 million due to increase in value of local tax mill, manufacturers’ depreciation, transfer from fund balance, and transfers from special revenues.
WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET…….…
Stated Mandated Costs ($4,600,000)
| Teacher Salary Steps |
$2,500,000 |
| Teacher Salary Certification Increases |
$600,000 |
| Charter School Payments |
$1,500,000 |
Local Required Costs For Growth and Per Education Plan Priorities - $9,458,000
| Additional Teachers for Student Growth (25 teachers) |
$1,500,000 |
| Instructional Supplies and Equipment for Schools (restoration to original 2008-09 budget) |
$2,145,000 |
| Opening of Greenview Child Development Center (4K) |
$157,000 |
| School Level Prof. Dev. (restoration to original 2008-09 budget) |
$1,280,000 |
| Subs for Non-Classroom School Personnel (partial restoration) |
$150,000 |
| Startup of A.J. Whittenberg ES ( principal & several staff) |
$200,000 |
| Utilities |
$835,000 |
| School Building Services (restoration to original 2008-09 budget) |
$530,000 |
| Maintenance (restoration to original 2008-09 budget) |
$1,320,000 |
| Department Budgets (partial restoration of cuts) |
$1,308,000 |
| District Required Business Travel |
$33,000 |
WHAT’S BEING REDUCED TO BALANCE THE BUDGET - TOTAL - $8,323,622
| Increase Student-Teacher Formulas by .5 Student |
($1,957,622) |
| Reduce Above Baseline Instructional Positions |
($1,030,000) |
| Adjust Staffing to Formula for Student Population Changes |
($1,775,000) |
| Class Size Reduction(5 Aide Positions) |
($170,000) |
| Adjust Special Education Staffing to Formula for Student Population Changes |
($900,000) |
| Transfer Cost of ESOL Aides to Title III |
($330,000) |
| Reconfigure New Directions Program for Expelled Students |
($75,000) |
| Reduce Above Baseline School Non-Classroom Positions |
($937,000) |
| Eliminate and/or Freeze 25 District Level Positions |
($934,000) |
| Reduce Maintenance Required After Hours |
($200,000) |
| Procurement Audit (Not Required this Year) |
($15,000) |
Future Meetings (J. Floyd Hall Administrative Center)
- Monday, June 8, 6:00 PM - Third Reading of Proposed General Fund Budget (Meeting would be rescheduled if Supreme Court has not issued ruling about Governor refusing to accept Federal Stabilization Funds.)
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