County schools OK budget

Teresa Williams

July 09, 2009 10:11 pm

— THOMASVILLE — The Thomas County Board of Education gave tentative approval, 5-1, to its fiscal year 2010 budget at its monthly meeting Tuesday.
Total estimated revenues in the general fund are $38.5 million with estimated expenditures set at $38.3 million, leaving a balance of around $147,000.
“I think we cut as much as we could and spent many nights going over it line by line,” board member Scott Morgan said. “I think we’ve done a good job of addressing cuts in revenues the government sent our way.”
Morgan mentioned previous budget planning sessions where a number of teaching positions were cut.
“That is never something we want to do, but because of cuts in revenues it was either that or raise taxes” he said. “We are trying to balance the needs of the school system with our fiduciary responsibility to the taxpayers. We did the best we could with what we had.”
Board member Charles Evans cast the single dissenting vote.
Evans, who voiced his disapproval of the “rift” to certified teachers, said Thursday he did not feel he’d had enough time to fully understand the budget.
“I am not voting for something I do not feel I comfortably understand,” he said.
Chairman Kay Streets said her vote was not needed to pass the budget.
“In my heart I did not agree with the final budget in February and March and my feelings have not changed so I abstained,” she said.
Finance Director Joey Holland said there are several things the public should understand about the tentatively approved budget:
• the budget reflects a loss of $2.9 million in state funding;
• the general fund expenditures have been reduced $4.1 million from the original FY 2009 budget, which is a 9.8 percent reduction;
• the local property tax revenue amount has not changed from last year, $10.7 million;
• $2.4 million of federal stimulus funding is included and will be used for instructional personnel costs.
The estimated fund balance, as of July 1, is $2.6 million and will be more than $2.7 million at the end of the fiscal year on June 30, 2010.
Administrative Assistant Carol Gerald said the July meeting was set for the first Tuesday instead of the normal second one when the board approved its yearly meeting schedule in January. This was done due to an expected conflict with a Georgia School Board Association meeting.
The budget will be considered for final adoption at the board’s regular meeting, 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 20, at the system’s administrative office, located at 200 N. Pinetree Blvd. in Thomasville.