Bill McCown
At the board of education called meeting Thursday night, Sept. 1, members voted on a final estimated general fund budget of $47,243,620 for the 2011-2012 school year that will require a millage rate of 19.228.
The school board opted not to adopt rollback rate of 18.228 mills (a rollback rate results from the subtraction of the percentage of net tax digest growth from the past year’s millage rate). They added an extra 5.49 percent to the rollback rate in order to meet budget demands.
The county tax digest for 2011 comes to 850,534,740, 12.66 decrease from the 2010 digest of 973,873,136, according to school system budget documents.
This is an increase over last year’s millage rate of 15.611.
Last year, the school board passed a $49,200,000 million estimated budget after instituting numerous spending resolutions as school officials waited for a final county tax digest.
Under the proposed millage rate, Gordon residents living in a $100,000 home can expect to pay around $769 in property taxes. (figure based on a home with no tax exemptions), according to the Gordon County Tax Assessor’s Office.
Although the proposed millage rate will have to be approved by the Gordon County Board of Commissioners, Georgia law requires three public hearings to be held to allow the public an opportunity to express their opinions of the increase.
All three hearings will be held at the Gordon County Board of Education office at 205 Warrior Path in Calhoun on Sept. 19, 8:30 a.m., Sept. 19, 6 p.m., and Sept. 26, 6 p.m.
Reduced budget
Personnel cuts have played a big part in budget reductions, and the schools have cut as many positions as possible, according to Superintendent Bill McCown.
“As a district, we’ve always run below capacity (student to teacher ratio), but this year we are at a maximum,” he said.
Another big reduction will come from a reduced calendar work schedule the school system will implement this year. The reduced work-schedule will save the county $1.9 million in spending for the next school year, according to budget documents released by the school board.
The consolidated school calendar will call for 176 student days and 180 teacher days.
Two-thirds of the school system’s general fund budget is funded by the state, according to Gail Farriba, Gordon County schools finance director, and the additional one-third comes mostly from county property taxes.
State funding for Gordon schools was reduced this year by $3.9 million, and local funding for schools has also been reduced due a decrease in property values in the past few years. In the past four years alone, the school district has made $7.4 million in reductions, resulting in the loss of 84 positions, Farriba noted.
Gordon schools have had to adjust to approximately $22 million in state austerity reductions since 2003, based on FTE (full-time-equivalent positions) that have been cut, the documents stated.
McCown said education should take a more prominent role in decisions handed down from the state level.
“The state constitution says that the primary responsibility of the state is educating its citizens,” said McCown. “That should be the first thing they always take care of, but it’s not always the first thing.”
Yes, there are layers upon layers that have been added to the pot. But since it sounds like you were once a teacher, maybe you know that some of the money that comes to the schools from the government is for certain things, and can not be used for anything else. Therefore, the administrators have no choice but to spend it that way.
Yes, I know the money the schools get from the state and federal government is still our tax dollars. But when the government tells you that you have to spend the money on this one thing and nothing else, what do you propose they do?
It really might pay if you would go to the public meetings and find out the answers to some of your questions, and let the Board know how you feel.
Teaching is not what it was 10 years ago or even before that. The government has changed the landscape dramatically with rules and regulations that school systems must follow.
The website referred to about salaries displays pay but it does not break it down. No football coach makes 100,000 to coach football in this county or the city. That amount is all their pay added together. They get their state pay based on the state salary schedule (years of experience and degrees), local supplement and then the football coach position is added on top of those to add up to maybe 100,000.
Again I think the county commissioners are the main cause of this and need questioned or ousted during the next election. There has to be some form of accountability.
rofl
Do you really think ANYTING is free? Go ask.
The Career Academy is not costing the residents of Gordon County 1 red cent. The career academy is fully funded by grants from the government. There was an article on here about it a while back. Guess y'all missed that one.
The Arts Academy will not cost anything either. The teachers that will be teaching there have stated that.
I like the way some folks have said YOU need to go to the meetings and ask questions. Instead of sending someone else to ask the questions, go yourself.
How many of the administrators are even from Gordon County? If the money people spend belongs to their friends and family, they are a little better stewards.
The good people of this county will and do support education, and tax increases when they are needed. They also demand good management and fiscal control.
I hope the people do go to the hearings, and ask the questions. How much is the career academy costing? How much is the preforming arts academy costing? How many "directors" do we need?
1. Superintendant makes WAY to much money.
2. Two football coaches make nearly $100,000 a year and only finish around .500 the past few years
3. Central Office has about three employees to do a one person job.
4. Each Director has a secretary. Directors need to do their jobs.
5. Do away with Math and Literacy Coaches. You have highly qualified teachers teaching. They do not need to be coached.
6. Just do a better job at managing TAX PAYERS money.
7. How about cooking food that kids will eat instead of throwing away alot of wasted food each week.
8. Make it a point to talk to your school board members about how unhappy you are.
9. If you are not happy with what is going on please go and vote.
My apologies sir, I took offense to the part about new teachers causing students to fail only. However, you and I do agree that EFFECTUAL, experienced teachers should never be replaced by someone who is simply cheaper, not better. I do believe though, that there are some teachers who simply do not do the job effectively, and that maybe it would be nice to give someone else a chance in those circumstances. I thank you for the well wishes as well.