Wednesday, June 25, 2003
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Wednesday, June 25, 2003 |
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BOE OKs $148 million budget By J. FRANK LYNCH
Right back at you, Coweta County. Or so that seemed to be the sentiment expressed by Janet Smola of the Fayette County School Board just prior to the final vote on a new $148 million general operating budget Monday. As board chair Terri Smith accepted a motion to vote on the spending plan, Smola broke in to question school district finance director James Stephens one more time. "We've balanced a budget without dipping into any of our reserve funds?" she asked. "That's correct," Stephens replied. "We've got $14.2 million in reserves still available." "Well then," said Smola, "As a board member I want to go on record and thank you for all your hard work, for not cutting programs, for maintaining the best school system in the state of Georgia without dipping into our reserves funds, like some other districts have done." The 2004 fiscal year budget, which goes into affect next Tuesday, July 1, was OK'd on a 3-0 vote (with board members Greg Powers and Lee Wright absent). Last week, Coweta County school officials circulated a press release touting that district's spending plan and how much more effecient it allegedly was when held up against Fayette. But Coweta is using nearly half its $12 million in backup funds to make it's budget balance, or more than $5 million, a point Smola clearly didn't want missed. In fact, Fayette's budget is fairly worry free compared to some of the challenges faced by other school systems around the state. ·Valdosta City Schools failed to meet the state deadline for balancing a budget and had to get a court's permission to go on month-to-month spending plan until one can be finalized. ·Chatham County Schools dumped plans to integrate disabled students into the regular classroom settings, but maintained fundin for a juvenile offender high school and teen pregancy programs. "It's always a thrill to come to this point," said Stephens at the end of the vote. Superintendent John DeCotis reminded the board that the millage rate still must be set, a process that won't take place until fall. "I feel like we've done the best we can do under the conditions," he said.
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