Cartersville School Board Approves 2014-15 Budget

The Cartersville City School Board last week approved its fiscal year 2014-15 budget. 

The budget is tentatively set at $34.6 million, which is about a 3.31 percent increase from the current budget.

The increase is primarily due to increase in personnel cost from experience, advanced degrees and salary step increases.

This year's budget does not include employee furloughs, and is based upon a 180-day calendar for students and 190-day calendar for teachers. 

The board also approved modifying its school calendar for 2014-15, which calls for the traditional two-day February winter break to be designated as snow days along with one Friday in March originally scheduled as a student holiday.  

If days are missed due to inclement weather or other emergency, then these three days would automatically become student school days.  

If the days are not needed, then the original break would go into effect.

"This should alleviate the need for making up days on Saturdays or extending school days to make up missed instruction," the board said in a news release.

School board members also approved Superintendent Howard Hinesley’s recommendation to name the street on the Cartersville High School campus between Nelson Street and McEver Street as Hill-Dean Way in honor of two former Board members, Matthew Hill and Michael Dean.  

Both of these gentlemen served the school system for a number of years and have since passed away. Since this roadway is completely on the school campus no other approval is required.

Additionally, the School Board recognized the Teacher of the Year from each of the four schools:

• Melanie Paige, Cartersville Primary School
• Haley Wilson, Cartersville Elementary School
• Cissi Adams, Cartersville Middle School
• Beth Cauthen, Cartersville High School