July 3, 2008

July is one the busiest times of the year for School Boards and there is no vacation from critically reviewing the blueprint developed in collaboration with the Superintendent and central staff for how local education dollars should be spent for the upcoming year. This particular year brings a proposed budget that maintains a quality instructional program and all required services while providing many improvements. Perhaps most importantly, for the first time in ten years, the Walker County Board of Education is proposing a rollback of the millage rate. The last rollback occurred in 1997.

Superintendent Mathis commended the Board for their intention to provide this measure of relief. She expressed her awareness of how deeply Walker County families are hurting in the current economic climate. “This is the time for our school system to step up and help in all ways possible while remaining true to our mission of providing all educational resources possible to ensure our students graduate ready for college, ready for work, ready for life.”

The current projected budget allows for a substantial reserve fund balance while still incorporating many improvements such as:

-Parent Notification System
-School Safety/Security Enhancements
-Emergency Channel for radio communication
-New Social Studies Textbooks/Learning Resources at Middle and High Schools
-New Grade 9 Math Textbooks
-Major Increase in Fuel Budget
-Technology Upgrades at High Schools and Fairyland Elementary
-Addition of Ombudsman to provide alternative services (4 sessions per day including evening classes) to combat the drop-out rate
-Increased Professional Learning at High Schools
-System-wide technology upgrades for filtering and security
-local supplement increase for certificated employees at 15 years of experience and above for the first time since 1972
-Purchase of 10 buses
-2.5% salary increase for non-certificated employees plus experience increases

State mandated increases to the proposed budget included:

-2.5% salary increase for experience based increase to all personnel
-additions to staff as required to meet maximum class size and highly qualified staffing needs

This sound budget picture is believed to be credited to spending dollars for their intended and mandated purposes at all levels with all dollars whether local, state, or federal. Also of note, is the $292,259 restoration of previous austerity cuts, which had increasingly impacted the budget over the past ten years. Walker County is attracting and retaining more experienced teachers and received $1,076,524 more dollars for paying these teachers than in last year’s budget. Equalization Funding at the state level also increased in favor of Walker County.

As much as it pleases the Board to propose this relief they remain watchful of soaring fuel, food and materials costs. Any significant cuts to current funding levels by state or federal legislation would have direct impact in future years.

This proposed rollback will result in one additional meeting to be held on July 28th to determine the official millage rate and 2008-09 budget.