Carter County School System faces
$400,000 deficit
By Julie Fann
Star Staff
jfann@starhq.com
On Wednesday morning, members of the Carter
County School System Finance Committee met to discuss the
budget dilemma the system faces this year - an approximate
$400,000 deficit that has local school and government officials
scratching their heads and sighing deeply.
"The school board as a whole will have input
into what we do. We will bring up the need to make cuts that
would equal $440,000 or so, and of course we will make recommendations
at a called board meeting before the end of May. We've already
cut back the last two years, so this seems like it's an ongoing
process," said Carter County Schools Superintendent Dallas
Williams during a telephone interview yesterday afternoon.
Several items on the budget are contributing
to the budget shortfall. At the top of the list is the county's
need to match with local funds nearly six percent of $1.3
million the state could be awarding the county to raise teacher
salaries to the minimum $37,000 proposed by Gov. Bredesen,
assuming the state legislature passes that budget within the
next month.
According to Finance Committee chairman Jack
Pearman, a large portion of the deficit is due to $150,000
in Special Education funds the county is lacking and that
won't be funded by the federal government. In addition to
that, the county is considering adding another Special Education
position.
County schools also face a 15 percent increase
in medical insurance premiums, and committee members would
like to give paraprofessionals a one to two percent raise.
The system is still paying for part of the raise the state
gave employees last year.
"Last year, the state gave a two percent raise
for half the year, and we funded our portion of that. This
year, that two percent will go for the full year, so we've
got to come up with our part (almost 15 percent) for half
of the raise," said Jerome Kitchens, county schools' budget
director.
For the past three years, the Average Daily Membership
(ADM) for the county school system has been down by 300 to
400 students, lowering the amount of funding provided by the
state, according to Pearman.
What all of this means for county schools has
yet to be finalized; however, Pearman said the school board
will more than likely need to consider cutting positions in
order to balance the budget.
"If we cut certified personnel that would be
about 11 or 12 positions, or teacher's assistants, instructional
aides, a certain number to help (balance the budget)," Pearman
said.
Kitchens also indicated that cutting salaried
positions may be necessary.
"Times are tough, and there's been cutbacks,
and we're trying to live within our budget ... Whenever you
have 80 percent of your budget in salaries, and you have to
make cuts, it's hard to get around (cutting salaried employees),"
Kitchen's said.
Finance Committee members include Jack Pearman,
chairman (retired); school board members Richard Winters and
Ted Maxwell; Pat Hicks, assistant superintendent; Jason Cody,
Carter County finance director, and Jerome Kitchens, Carter
County Schools budget director.
The Carter County School Board will hold its
next meeting May 1st.
