Isn't it funny--more like ha, ha-- that we didn't have this problem when Jim Stephens was the finance director and kept the board in line with what they could and couldn't do? Now the whole board of education has been burning up the dollars and now looking to the public to pay for it.

Wake UP Dr. DeCotis--put someone who can be your backbone and stand up to these people to do the responsible thing--not clean up for a mess you allowed to happen!

What he means by that is that if they don't get extra funding (SPLOST $) then the BoE will have to cut all those positions to make up for that money. It won't be nearly enough, about $100 million off. The Splost will give $100-115 million to the schools and keep positions. No Splost will cut those positions and only give the schools about $1.5 million in return wages. In the long run I keep seeing how the Splost will make sense....even if it does cost me more.

Notjustcomplaining, money from the bond referendum a few years back has one particular string attached to it: it cannot be used to fund operating expenses such as salaries.

This has a significant adverse effect on Smola and Smith's plans to build an education empire,to make the Fayette School system one of the greatest jobs programs in Georgia (see also: first grade parapros).

So, they came up with a two part scheme to allow them to add and fund more and more positions:

first, strip out all the technology out of the general budget and have it be entirely funded by the splost (allowing them to hire more people). This ensures a "permanent SPLOST", as voters will essentially be voting going forward every 5 years whether or not to have computers in their childrens' schools. This allows Smith and Smola to create and hire more non-state funded positions.

secondly, use the splost to reduce the bond debt, which will allow for millage rate increases in future years to fund pay raises for the many non-state funded positions created by Smith and Smola.

First grade parapros are evidence of a jobs program? Come on...you know better.

If only people had got out and voted.

"Smola then returned to the conversation with Todd, asking if he was aware of the hundreds of hours school system staff, and some board members, had put into the development of the SPLOST proposal"

No Smola, he nor any of us were aware of this till after the election! That is the problem! Since you always brag about what you have accomplished, I wonder why you didn't brag about all those hours you and this select group were putting into this during your election campaign? I wonder how all those hours pondering how to get another nickel out of us slipped your mind? Could it be that you felt it might loose you votes if people knew what you were cooking up? Clearly, fellow board members like Dr Todd had not been privy to these meetings.

Here's the deal, as I understand it:
The system has to pay its debt; has to do something about the computers going back to Dell; and has to pay the higher gas bill for transportation etc.

That money will come from somewhere.

So...

Either the splost will provide it, or the board will find it somewhere else -- potentially by eliminating direct-contact positions like parapros and non-core subject teachers whose salaries are paid entirely by the county. Some argue those are red herrings and that there's all sorts of fat and waste elsewhere that could be cut. We will see a lot of armchair expert testimony about that over the next couple months.

The ultimate question for voters will be: Do you want to vote no and assume the system can meet its funding needs through means that will not jeopardize its above-average performance; or do you want to trust the people who run the system to propose a splost because it is actually the best way to meet the needs and preserve quality? Of course there is always that element that will vote no to any tax, ever, for anything, no matter what the consequences for the schools or even their own property values.

As an aside, I wish the Citizen would focus its coverage a little more on facts and less on board politics and personalities. Who cares what testy comments Todd and Smola made? The above article is all about that, with almost no info on what's at stake in the vote.

For those who want to know more, the fcboe web site has a section of info.

Thanks to the Citizen for reporting the Facts, Board Politics and personalities. Without which the average voter cannot make an informed decision on which candidate to vote for. You have to have the whole enchilada, not just what the Board wants spoon feed us(don't tell the public to much as they will ask to many questions).
As far as eliminating direct-contact personel, they need to start with all of the fat in the main office. Once that is done work on other areas that could use a little trimming.
I think a lot more citizens would have a different attitude towards this if it had not been presented in the fashion that it was. It was just DIRTY LOW DOWN POLITICS to hold on to this until the week after the election. Not a word on this was mentioned until Janet Smola and the Ghost (Marian Key) were re-elected.
If you want a tax increase then raise my property taxes, at least that is a write off. This SPLOST will not pass in November.

I totally agree with you! The board should use this formula to figure out what needs to be cut...the further away you are from the children, the closer you are to the door.

The Citizen took the lid off and let us see what was in the fig basket!

Thank you Dr Todd, even though outnumbered, you made it obvious you weren't going to be pushed into this without an open public discussion, nor approved of the others antics.

".... a heated exchange between board members Janet Smola and Bob Todd spotlighted a growing rift between the three-person majority... and the two members questioning the system’s spending decisions — Todd and newly reelected Marion Key."...

Dr. Todd said he would be abstaining when the vote was taken....
'I’ve struggled with this.....I’ve been concerned about the hurry-up. ..... I’m getting mixed feedback. I’ll abstain from the vote because I don’t want to be accused of standing in the way of voters deciding on the SPLOST or not.”

"It was Smola’s comment over the length of time SPLOST had been discussed that triggered a clearly definitive response from Todd."

“.... I won’t be coerced to do something we haven’t planned willfully.”

Sounds to me like Smola will not be able to run over the gracious southerner after all.