Budget talks on school board agenda

By Kathy Chaffin

kchaffin@salisburypost.com

Rowan-Salisbury Board of Education members will discuss the school system's budget request to the Rowan County Board of Commissioners on Monday.

During a March 8 work session, the school board agreed to request an additional $3.3 million in county funds to raise the school system's per student funding to the state level of $1,736.

Superintendent Dr. Judy Grissom will present a proposed budget message to commissioners for school board members to review Monday.

"Our board strongly encourages the county commissioners to fund our school system at state average or above," Grissom said in the proposed budget message. "This is imperative for our district to continue in the pursuit of our goals, and it also sends a clear message to our citizenry that education is valued.

"We must continue to plan for the future of this county by educating our greatest resource, our youth."

Grissom said no expansion items are included with the request for county funding.

"Unfortunately, all state budget scenarios we are currently presented with will prevent the reinstatement of the budget reductions that have already occurred in the current year," she said. "This includes the elimination of 121 positions and the reduction in hours or months of employment for additional positions as well as several program and departmental cuts."

The proposed budget will be presented to county commissioners in April.

Open to the public, the school board meeting will be held at 5 p.m. in the school system's administrative offices at 110 S. Long St., East Spencer.

Other items on the agenda are as follows:

- Chairman Dr. Jim Emerson will update the board on the discussion of moving the school system's East Spencer administrative offices to the former Department of Social Services building on West Innes Street at the Committee to Consider Central Office Consolidation meeting scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Monday.

The meeting is open to the public and will be held in Room 203 of the J. Newton Cohen Jr. Rowan County Administration Building, 130 W. Innes St.

Emerson and board member Karen South Carpenter represent the school board on the committee, while Chairman Carl Ford and Raymond Coltrain represent the commissioners.

- Lt. Col. Mark Hafer from the South Rowan High School JROTC program, South Rowan Principal Don Knox and Carson Principal Henry Kluttz will present proposed changes to the two high schools' JROTC partnership for 2010-11.

- Consideration of the reappointment of Tom Bost to the Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Board of Trustees.

Contact Kathy Chaffin at 704-797-4249.