Gordon County Schools officials hope November’s SPLOST vote will allow them to plan for a new middle school at this site in the Red Bud area. The soccer fields will be built over.
The tentative budget is $49.2 million, about $2.3 million less than last year’s $51.5 million budget. Still, there are more cuts to be made before the final budget is approved in August. Federal funding dropped about $1.1 million to $702,000 from last year’s $1.8 million due to a tapering in stimulus money available to the schools. The school will receive $33,030,593 from the state.
“We still need to cut about $400,000 to have a balanced budget,” said Dr. Bill McCown, superintendent for Gordon County Schools. The school system is also waiting on a final tax digest number from the county.
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McCown said he and Gail Farriba, financial director for the system, have worked with principals and staff to eliminate $1,767,503 from the budget so far.
Personnel face the biggest cuts with the elimination of 32 positions if the tentative budget passes in its current form. Most were positions not filled after retirements and resignations. Because of increased class sizes in grades one through three, some of those positions were eliminated.
School counselors will possibly have five additional days shaved from their contracts in the tentative budget. This move came after meeting with principals to determine where more money could be cut. When asked if more time could be eliminated, McCown said he was hesitant to do so because those five days were in addition to 10-day furlough employees across the board.
The cuts for counselors are planned after the school year ends, but they will continue to work before school starts because principals said everyone was needed to get the school ready for the new year. The cut equals $7,500.
Although the media centers at all schools are heavily used, McCown said hiring substitutes to fill in for vacancies is something they will try not to do this year. Also two para-professional positions in Gordon Central’s Child Development Center will be cut. Because the program uses student helpers as well as the para-pros, it will still meet state guidelines on the ratio of children to caretakers. The budget for substitute teachers was cut by $100,000 and officials anticipate using para-pros and office employees to fill the need. Two teacher positions, two para-pro positions and one custodian position eliminated added another $176,000.
The budget for substitute bus drivers was cut by $10,000. The budget for fuel will remain at $450,000 but will include transportation from Gordon Central to Sonoraville High School for students participating in the Army JROTC program.
Gifted teachers, who receive a supplement because the program falls under special education, will have their supplements cut, saving the county $2,500. Their conference travel budget was also cut, making an additional $2,500 in savings.
Supplements paid to teachers working outside school hours to provide tutoring will save the system about $125,000.
Anything sports-related, from new sound systems to hurdles will be the responsibility of the booster clubs, the board agreed.
Some programs, like the New Teach Academy will use Title II funds, cutting $5,000 from the budget.
Cuts to capital outlay and facility project request netted $533,053 in savings to the county. Left in were student desks.
Added into the budget was $6,000 for SACS visit in order to keep the systems accreditation current, software license, $14,100, pre-k transfer for $75,000 for a total of $95,100.
Not added to the budget, contrary to rumor, McCown said, was a raise for the superintendent.
“I received no raise and I am taking 13 days furlough days,” McCown said.
McCown also said there could be more adjustments before the tentative budget is presented to the council for the vote.
“We still need to be prepared for a midterm adjustment,” said McCown.
Farriba said the biggest challenge budget wise the system is facing is not knowing how much tax revenue will actually be collected.
The tentative budget will be presented at the regular board meeting on July 19. The final budget should be ready in August and the millage rate should be set in September, said Farriba.
Special Project Local Option Sales Tax
Educators are hoping to cover some of the cuts when the new SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) is voted on in November. If the SPLOST passes, the monies will be split between the Gordon County School district and Calhoun City Schools based on the number of students.
Some of the projects Gordon County hopes to fund are a new middle school in the Red Bud Road area that has advance state money already allotted. Board members are budgeting $5 million for it out of the $64,280,000 request.
“We don’t want to be caught short,” said McCown.
A new elementary school for $14 million and renovations to several schools for $26.5 million will also be in the resolution.
Technology upgrades and replacements throughout the system, a career academy, auditoriums, air conditioning for gyms, new gyms, and buses make up $14.2 million of the request. Athletic fields and facilities are $500,000 and land purchase for future sites are $1.5 million.
The resolution for the SPLOST will be voted on in the July 19 meeting.
As far as school administrators go, I can honestly say they are some of the hardest working people who put in the most hours. Having been married to a principal for almost 20 I can tell you that my spouse typically works about a 70 hour work week during the school year. While this lessens up some during the summer, it is only reduced to a typical 40 hour week.
29 states spend less than Georgia and have higher graduation rates.
Texas spends almost $1,400 less per student.
Arizona spends $3,000 less per student.
California spends $3,500 less per student.
All three states are diverse like we are and graduate more folks than us.
"Center for an Educated Georgia."
"Support" personnel increased by 16 percent.
Georgia students only increased 9 percent during that time.
In 1990, our students were 41st in national graduation rates. Billions of dollars later, we rank 46th.
Do you know what a graduation coach is?
Not only are there math/reading coaches, there are still too many administrators at the schools. In addition to principals, there are asst. principals and instructional coordinators. Some of these admin. are teachers wanting out of the classroom. Some don't have leadership cert., but make leadership salaries.
The best way to really help teachers would be to put some of these people back in the classroom to take some of the student load off teachers. Also, while principals are looking at ways to make cuts at their schools, they are being sent to costly conferences to jump on yet another new
educational bandwagon???