CARROLLTON — Teachers could once again bear the brunt of revenue cuts if projected state monies come up short during the next school year, Superintendent Billy Joe Ferguson told the Carroll County School Board at a budget hearing Friday evening.
Teacher salaries in the county have already been cut $400, the amount of the local supplement.
After Board President Ben Shute told Ferguson to be prepared to cut more from the budget if it becomes necessary.
Ferguson told the board a new law has been passed allowing school districts to cut contracted salaries during the year should revenues fall from projected amounts. If money from the state’s share of the district’s budget is down 3 percent, then teacher salaries could be cut 3 percent, he said.
Instructional salaries are the largest budget item, totalling of $2.25 million.
The district will be running at “dangerously low levels,” the budget request stated, “in order to avoid asking for an increase in county ad valorem taxes.”
During the 2009-10 school year, the county’s millage brought in less money than in the past, so the district received $136,335 less than had been budgeted.
Members discussed whether to ask for this “shortfall” amount from the Carroll Board of Supervisors, and Ferguson told the board that county attorney Jim Burgoon had told him the district could ask for the money back at the end of the year.
There was some discussion about whether supervisors refused to give the district the money that had been reduced by the decreasing value of a mill last year, but board attorney Lori Bell said there was never a formal request for the funds.
Board member Kenneth Deloach questioned Ferguson about whether he had gone before the supervisors to ask for the shortfall. Ferguson said he had gone to a work session.
“We didn’t know until now how much the shortfall would be. If we ask them, they have to give us this money.” Ferguson said. “That’s the law.”
“Forget last year,” Deloach said.
The board unofficially agreed, though there was not a motion to that effect since the meeting was only a public budget hearing.
“If the board is not going to ask, then I want you to remember you said we can take 16th section lease money to make up the shortfall,” Ferguson said.
Deloach questioned Ferguson about the value of a mill, insisting someone should know its exact current value. Ferguson replied that he had asked Tax Assessor Wilton Neal and Chancery Clerk Stanley “Sugar” Mullins, and neither has all the information yet to say for sure. Ferguson said Joe McCraney of North Central Planning and Development District had told him the millage rate would likely be the same as last year. The millage value went down last year due to decreasing timber values.
The proposed budget of $8.96 million is about $683,000 less than the $9.65 million the district had budgeted for last year, though not all of that amount materialized. The county’s ad valorem taxes account for 20 percent of the budget, and they are projected to be down by $89,245. That amount was taken out of the proposed budget.
The board decided not to ask for a county millage increase to make up the funds at its regular June meeting, though it has the power to do so. Instead, they discussed using money from 16th section land leases to make up the lower state and county revenues.
Only one citizen attended the Friday evening budget hearing, which was to allow citizen input on the proposed budget. The board will vote on the budget at the regular July meeting, which has been moved to 6 p.m. July 12 at the Carroll County courthouse.
