On Thursday, June 19, 2014, the Cherokee County School Board will hold its first public hearing on the Superintendent’s proposed 2014-15 budget, which calls for shrinking class size in kindergarten through fifth grade, increasing services and giving a tax break to property owners. The hearing will be held during the regular meeting of the School Board, which begins at 7 p.m. in the Historic Canton High School/School Board Auditorium at 111 Academy St. in downtown Canton. The agenda for the meeting, including an Executive Summary of the budget, now is posted online at: portal.cherokee.k12.ga.us/board/meetings/061914/default.aspx Additional public budget hearings will be held at 11 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 9, and 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 23, in the Historic Canton HS/School Board Auditorium. The Board will vote on the proposed budget at 7 p.m. on July 23. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Frank R. Petruzielo, in the final recommended 2014-15 budget, has included all of the proposed restored and improved services previously shared with the School Board, parents and the community at large, as well as expansion of his initial class-size reduction plans to two additional grades: Grades 4 and 5. “Since we began several years ago suffering the annual one-two punch of State ‘austerity budget cuts’ and a dramatically declining Local property tax digest, the School Board set three priorities to address when revenue began to improve: reinstate the 180-day school calendar for students; eliminate furlough days for employees; and decrease class size,” Dr. Petruzielo said. “Last school year, we returned to 180 school days for students and reduced employee furlough days down to three. I’m very pleased to report that we can remain at 180 school days for the next school year and abolish the remaining furlough days,” he added. “Initial tax digest estimates indicated that we could begin chipping away at class size for kindergarten through third grade; today, I can recommend that we do the same for the fourth and fifth grades… which should be very welcome news for students, parents and teachers!” The General Fund, which is the School District’s day-to-day operating budget and the largest fund in the total budget, is proposed at $347.7 Million, up from $321.1 Million last school year… with revenue available to hire additional teachers to reduce class size and to accommodate projected growth, as well as to hire additional bus drivers and school police officers and restore and increase other critically needed services (see full list of highlights below). The decreases in class size and other program/service improvements are possible without raising the operating budget’s millage rate, as the Local tax digest has grown by an estimated 10 percent (prior to appeals and other adjustments, which will likely result in a final actual increase closer to 7 percent); and State “austerity budget cuts” have been significantly lowered by the Governor and State Legislature for the first time in several years. Some property owners will see higher tax bills, but only if the value of their property significantly increased. It should also be noted that the total value of the digest is now near the same level as it was in 2006, while CCSD has enrolled an additional 4,400 students since that time; finally, property owners age 62 and older continue to be eligible for a school property tax exemption. As indicated above, property owners will see a tax break under the Superintendent’s recommended budget, as it calls for elimination of the debt service tax, which is set at .4 mills. Dr. Petruzielo said, as the related bond debt has been retired, he is recommending that the Board end the tax as a “promise kept” to voters. The Building Fund, which is funded by bonds repaid using Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (Ed SPLOST), is proposed at $88.8 million, down from $94.6 Million last school year. Projects funded by this budget include construction of the new/replacement Dean Rusk Middle School, renovations to the Cherokee High School athletic complex and the opening of a new parent entrance at Carmel Elementary School to enhance safety and traffic flow. Dr. Petruzielo said he’s optimistic that, if the Local tax digest continues to see steady growth and the Governor and State Legislature restore the $17 Million in earned State funding still being withheld due to “austerity budget cuts,” further reductions in class size will be possible for the 2015-16 school year. Full restoration of earned funding next year would allow CCSD to hire an additional 250 teachers and return class size for all grades back to pre-recession levels. It also could enable: the purchase of additional needed instructional resources (the first new textbooks in six years and more digital content); avoidance of additional outsourcing of classified staff due to predicted, significant State Health Benefit Plan cost increases for employers and employees; restoration of Budget Reserves to State-recommended levels… and, possibly, allow for an operating millage rate tax break. “For the coming school year, we’re finally able to take some positive steps to trim class size for elementary school grades, and that’s a good thing; but it doesn’t get us back to 2006 class size, and it doesn’t allow us to make a dent in middle and high school class size,” Dr. Petruzielo added. “We need the Governor and State Legislature to build upon what they started this year with ‘austerity budget cut’ reductions and show the people of Georgia that public education and the future of Georgia’s children truly is their top priority.” Highlights from the Superintendent’s proposed 2014-15 Tentative Budget: • Reduce property taxes by eliminating General Obligation Bond Millage (.4 mills = $2.5 Million); no increase in current Maintenance & Operation (M&O) Millage; • Hire 69 additional teachers to reduce class size at elementary (K-5) grade levels; • Hire 196 additional teachers to reflect student population growth and to fill vacancies created by attrition; • Restore school nurse hours to six hours (from 5.5 hours) per day; • Restore school police staffing levels to reflect student population growth/additional schools; • Add 10 bus drivers to address growth, improve efficiency and reduce ride time for students; • Provide a one-half teacher (“graduation coach”) allotment at each high school dedicated to credit recovery/helping students stay on track for graduation; • Implement automated substitute teacher scheduling system for classroom teachers to utilize on a daily basis; • Pilot a school entry door security system in one Innovation Zone; • Establish an emergency parent notification system -- for phone, text and email alerts; • Eliminate employees’ remaining three furlough days -- to restore full work calendars and reduced pay for all employees… for the first time since 2008-09; • Fund annual longevity step increases for eligible employees; • Fund a 1% cost-of-living raise for all employees… the first in five years; and, • Use remaining funds to begin restoring Budget Reserves.
Posted on: Thu, 12 Jun 2014 19:39:21 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015