Gordon County School board members approved an inrease in employee furlough days at a called meeting Monday.

Gordon County School employees took six furlough days in 2009-2010 and are scheduled to take 10 furlough days for 2010-2011.

This move will save $1,738,447, said Finance Director Gail Farriba. She pointed out that the value represents 10 days for all employees, with the exception of bus drivers and food service workers, who are scheduled to work four less days.

A slight after-school care increase fee was approved by board members. The increase will be implemented next school year and will be $13 per week for pickup at 4:30 p.m. and a charge of $27 per week for pickup at 6 p.m.

Members of the Gordon County Board of Education were given a first look at the fiscal year 2010-2011 budget Monday.

McCown went through the budget, which contained a page-by-page breakdown of expenses by school.

“The biggest issue is the ARRA (federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) funds that helped support our budget last year are almost gone,” he said.

School systems all across the state have suffered austerity cuts from the state for several years now, and the superintendent said he is counting on more cuts for the coming school year.

Farriba said the timeline for adopting the 2010-2011 budget is uncertain, but the school is awaiting the state allotment numbers and tax digest information.

The current fiscal year ends June 30.

Farriba thinks the members of the board will adopt a tentative budget in July and adopt the final budget in August.

SPLOST

A SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) discussion began at the meeting and board members looked a list of projects that would be used at each school to provide better lunchrooms, classrooms and school safety.

“If there are any items you’d like to list in the SPLOST, then you would have to prioritize them,” McCown said.

The meeting ended behind closed doors in executive session to discuss personnel.

The next regular scheduled meeting is June 14 at 7 p.m. at the Gordon County Board of Education building.