By Maggie Blackwell
mblackwell@salisburypost.com
Rowan-Salisbury School System administrators are preparing for more cutbacks from the state, according to Tara Trexler, chief financial officer for the system.
The Board of Education held its scheduled work meeting Monday night.
“We have heard scenarios of cutting 3 percent, 5 percent, and 7 percent, but nothing is definite yet. If the cuts are as large as 5 percent, they will be felt strongly throughout our system, both administratively and in the classroom.”
The state is suffering from decreased tax revenues due to the sagging economy.
The good news is the state, like many municipalities, budgeted for inflated fuel costs for the entire fiscal year. Because fuel prices have gone down, the state has a surplus of as much as $35 million. That will offset any potential reversion, but Raleigh will still have an overall shortfall to pass along to local school districts.
“We are waiting to hear more from them in the next few weeks. Our reversion could be as much as $400,000. If we hear in February, that means we have to cut that much money from only 3 months of instruction. That will be a challenge,” Trexler said.
Dr. Judy Grissom, school system superintendent, said she has been quietly preparing for this situation. In her weekly meetings with principals, she has asked that they “hold off” on filling any staff vacancies other than classroom teachers. This is not a hiring freeze, she stressed. It is a “wait and see” situation and schools are asked to be prudent in the interim.
There are several areas that cannot be impacted by budget reversions, including programs for exceptional children and items paid for with grant money.
“I think we’ll know in two to three weeks if we will have to revert money to the state. We will look at many options at that time. The finance subcommittee will meet in February at its regular time and will bring a full report to the board at the end of February,” Grissom said.
Since the meeting was a work session, the board did not vote on any matters.
In other items presented to the board:
– Gene Miller, assistant superintendent of operations, presented the possibility of building a central office for the school system on Old Concord Road, where the system’s bus garage is located. The option appears to be quite feasible, he said. Miller consulted with two architectural firms to ensure its viability.
The presentation was a repeat performance of one Miller made to the the Rowan County Board of Commissioners last week. If another parcel adjacent to the bus lot were included, the land would total 5.75 acres, providing “plenty of room” for the 60,000-square-foot, two-story building and adequate parking. The total cost of building on this land would be about $7.5 million. This compares to $7.3 million if the old Winn-Dixie building were renovated for the same use.
– Four high schools presented their concepts for academies, or specialized schools-within-a-school, to be available in the fall of this year for incoming freshmen. They are: South Rowan High School, Junior ROTC Academy; West Rowan High School, Agriscience Academy; North Rowan High School, Allied Health Academy; Carson High School, Fine Arts Academy;
East Rowan High School did not make a presentation. Salisbury High School has already established an academy of math and science.
– Board members discussed budget money for their continuing education. The current budget provides each board member $1,000 to register for conferences and $1,000 to travel to them. Members discussed pooling the money and taking turns so two members per year can attend.
Board member Kay Wright Norman noted the importance of attending this type of event. “These events are valuable. Other school systems have faced the same challenges, and we can learn from them when we attend these events,” she said.