Bartow Schools Face 3 Percent Cut in 2011-2012 Budget

Superintendent John Harper said that the system is making the best out of a bad situation as the board discussed taking a 3 percent budget cut for the 2011-2012 school year during the Monday work session.

The cuts, which mainly stem from a decrease in state funding, will create a $15.8 million shortfall. This shortfall will cost the county an addition 3 percent cut this coming fiscal year on top of the 4.5 percent cut they saw from last year.

Currently, Bartow is estimating an anticipated $15.3 million beginning balance in projected beginning fund balance with revenues for the fiscal year 2012 being around $103.2 million. However, the total expenditures, or expenses including instruction, support services and administration, will cost an estimated $110.1 million.

Chief Financial Officer Todd Hooper said since the expenditures were more than revenues that the system would have to dip into their projected fund balance to cover its expenses as state sources have been depleted by nearly $7 million on the since last year.

“Last year, our state sources budget was at $72 million,” said Hooper. “This year we're at $65.1 million, and that's just from state. Three years ago we were at $125 [million] for our expenditures and we were meeting them with our revenues. Since then, it has kept going down. The state revenue cut somewhere between $6 and $7 million, which seems to be a trend."

Hooper said he hopes the trend will stop.

“When we look at our budget, it is these cuts that are what drive the decisions we have to make,” said Hooper. “When you look at our local revenue year after year we have maintained our revenue, with the exception of last year and this year, as property valuation as fallen, however those cuts in revenue at the state level are what drive our decisions locally.”

Hooper said that federal funding was also cut as the 2-year stimulus grant from American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 also expired this year adding to the deficit.

For fiscal year 2012, Hooper said the main focus is on classroom instruction with an estimated $77.7 million, a 4.5 percent cut from last year, that would, however, still exceed the expenditure rule of 65 percent.

Hooper added that the budget cuts, however, would affect general administration, or the central office with a 30 percent cut and the central support services with a cut of 16 percent.

Hooper said that these cuts would leave the school system with a projected ending fund balance of $8.5 million.

“I know it's the lowest slim balance I've seen since I've been here,” said Hooper. “It's one that begins to put us at a position that in order to continue to do the things we done locally we will have to call into question whether we can continue to do those things as we go into the following budget year. So there is some decisions that the school system and the community are going to make. We are going to have to decide what kind of philosophy we have towards education and that philosophy, in my opinion, differs by far from our legislators' view for public schools in the state of Georgia.”

Hooper added that the tentative budget doesn't leave much room for next year, as the ending fund balance will be lower than 10 percent of the estimated expenditures.

“Currently we are under budget for this year, which might give us an extra $1 million to $500,000 added to our beginning fund,” said Hooper, “but that still will leave us about $1 million short."

Hooper said next year might be even worse since the total revenues will have to equal the total expenditures because of the limited beginning balance.

“We might be looking at more budget cuts if we don't increase our local revenue sources,” Hooper added.

Harper said that the tentative budget was created to make sure that Bartow County schools provide “as much as they can” for classroom instruction.

“We want to keep as many people employed inside of Bartow County School System as we possibly could in spite of the drastic reduction that has come from the department of education from the legislature,” said Harper. “I believe you will see that's what we do with regards to this budget.”

The board will make its official announcement of the tentative budget this Thursday in , exactly 2 weeks before its planned called meeting for approval on June 23 at 8:30 a.m.

Also at the work session:

• The board looked at classroom sizes under the Class Size Waiver Resolution for the 2011-2012 school year, as the state has eliminated classroom sizes. Harper said that there would hopefully be no change in regards to classroom size as they hope to keep classroom sizes to a minimum. Harper said that other school systems have “thrown classroom sizes to the wind” but that with this year's budget, that they would remain with the same proximity as last year.
• The board also looked to close out plans on the project.
• Harper also said during the superintendent's report that the summer classes for driver's training began Monday under the instruction of a new company that will cost the county less. The training classes, which contain 18 students, are taking place at the old Cass High School building by a company out of Acworth and are less expensive than last year's. Harper said that he hopes this new company will help take on classes during the school year during out-of-school hours.
• Rick Little, director of Construction and Planning,  updated the board on the new building projects at , Adairsville Middle and Emerson Elementary. Cloverleaf has received a new pad for development to begin, while Adairsville received approval from Nova Engineering that the new site would be perfect for the school, after the company did testing for the rock fixtures on the grounds. Emerson Elementary remains in the works, as the speed limit near the school might be dropped to 25 mph from the previous 45 mph.
• The board looks to approve this coming year's handbook.
• New issues of copiers, large equipment for the school cafeterias and pest elimination will also look for approval.

The board looks to approve all other items on its regular agenda with exception of the tentative budget on Monday, June 13 during the regularly scheduled business meeting.