By PAT NEWMAN
pnewman@thecitizennews.com

The Fayette County Board of Education passed a $124.1 million budget Friday morning which includes a 3 percent raise for teachers, principals and “classified” personnel.

The budget is 6.7 percent more than last year's and is based on a 7 percent anticipated increase in the tax digest. The new millage rate will not be set until September, but Jim Stephens, financial director for the school district, said digest growth should offset the school budget, making a tax increase unnecessary.

School Superintendent Dr. John DeCotis admitted that the budget is not a “perfect document,” but said, “We've done the best we could.

“The majority of money is going to schools and being spent on the children,” he said.

The board voted four to one to approve the budget with Woody Shelnutt casting the only vote against the package.

He said there were three or four things he opposed, such as adding staff and administrative positions plus apprehension that the budget may ultimately necessitate a tax increase, instead of a decrease in the fall.

While places like Glynn County and Camden County in south Georgia have reportedly cut administrative positions to hire more teachers, according to Shelnutt, Fayette County has pretty much held the line. DeCotis said the school district has always been careful about its hiring practices and kept the student/teacher ratio low, compared to other counties which may now have to scramble to start meeting the state requirements being phased in by House Bill 1187, the governor's education reform package

Another reason, DeCotis said, is that those particular counties may just have a tighter money situation.

Implementing the unified salary scale, included in the fiscal 2001 budget, will cost about $630,000 for classified employees. The total cost for putting 24 school principals on the scale is estimated to be $10,000.

The budget provides for 46 new teachers, six new administrators, 19 nurses to meet the state requirements, 13 technology specialists and four social workers, plus nine new operations support personnel such as bus drivers and a records officer.

There is also a 33-person reduction in personnel due to attrition, particular by paraprofessionals, or reclassification in position.

The financial impact of the governor's education plan will not be felt immediately, according to DeCotis, but local supplements to hire school nurses will be necessary, adding $268,000 to the budget.