School leader warns of tougher times

Our goal this year (FY 2012) is to ‘hold the fort’ and get by, by the skin of our teeth,’” said McCannon at the county school board’s April 12 meeting. “Next year (FY 2013) we’re cutting into bone. It’s getting scary and we must get prepared.”

Next to salaries and benefits, which include state-mandated “step” increases — 
an incremental increase in salary based on previous qualifying professional experience — and salary increases for advanced degrees, transportation costs and utilities present the highest line items in expenses.

McCannon pointed out that since 2002, state support has decreased from $3,800 per student to approximately $2,800 per student for 2012. Conversely, dependence on local funds has increased from 40 to 50 percent to offset the loss in state funding.

The county school system will end this year with a $4.6 million fund balance that includes $1 million in federal stimulus funds, but projections indicate that the school system may end up with a $3.05 million deficit at the end of 2012 due to the loss of stimulus funding, salary and health insurance increases. as well as reductions in state funding and in the tax digest.

In other business, the board reviewed a proposed “facility naming policy” that calls for school buildings and facilities to be named based on the history of the area they are in, and not for a particular individual. Board chairman Jim Patton said, if approved, the document “puts in policy form what has been done in practice (in the past).”

The board approved teacher contracts for the upcoming school year and discussed rezoning a small number of elementary students from Hull-Sanford to Colbert to alleviate potential overcrowding at Hull-Sanford.

The board also heard a performance by the high school jazz band ensemble and recognized a number of students who won state FFA awards.