School board approves 2009-2010 budget

Members of the Haywood County School Board met in special session Tuesday night, June 23, and passed a budget for the 2009-2010 school year. The total amount budgeted - $23,171,434. This figure is $446,725 more than the expected revenue of $22,724,707, but that amount will be taken from the school’s fund balance, specifically to give certified school personnel a one-time bonus in September of $900 each, and non-certified personnel $700 each. Before this expense, the school’s fund balance was a little over $2.3 million.

Board members first heard a number of budget amendments, presented by Chief Financial Officer Vincent Harvell, which amounted to in-and-out funds to balance each department’s budget. The board approved these amendments.

Then Superintendent Marlon King presented new items in next year’s budget, beginning with the news about the bonuses for teachers and other school personnel. Budget committee members Board Chairman Harold Garrett and Allen Currie, who work with Superintendent King on the Budget, along with Harvell, defended their recommendation to give personnel a bonus in lieu of a raise. They cited the shaky economy for the reason they didn’t want to create a recurring expense that could cause lay-offs if economic times got worse next year. Garret said that giving “raises” could put them in a position to have to lay off teachers. Initially the idea was a $600 bonus, but board members wanted it to be $900.

They also reported that they had talked with the Haywood County Education Association representatives and they were okay with the bonus proposal.

Last year, board members did not request a raise, because they were told the county commissioners said no one would be getting raises. Then, after they didn’t ask, other county workers received a raise. Thornton said, “If you don’t ask, you won’t get.”

A lengthy discussion ensued, and unanimously board members indicated they wanted to give teachers a raise and discussed going to the county commission with the request.

But in the end, board members agreed to approve the bonuses instead of requesting appropriations for a raise for teachers. Again, the money for these bonuses - $446,725 - will come from the school’s fund balance.

Next, Superintendent King reported that insurance costs were going up 10 percent, but that the district would absorb that increase. He estimated that would cost the system about $400 per teacher – another bonus of sorts.

On the recommendation of the budget committee, the board approved a teacher salary supplement for those teachers who spend a lot of time working and traveling with students to school events outside the classroom.

Superintendent King’s next budget item concerning salaries for his Executive Cabinet brought the most discussion. He reported that his seven cabinet members had accepted their new positions at their current salaries when he announced his reorganization plan and conducted interviews in the spring. As he has adjusted those jobs and added responsibilities, he was proposing to give them an increase in their salaries equal to a total amount $18,000. He did not give the salaries of each one or how much each one would receive. He said that since he had not filled the assistant superintendent position when he came, that the system had saved about $14,000. So the only additional cost to the budget this year would be $4,000.

Thornton raised the question about giving these supervisory personnel raises and not teachers. Superintendent King explained the increase in duties, but board members wrestled with the dilemma, pointing out that now this would be a recurring expense. They also questioned whether or not to give these employees the $900 bonus, too. While most did not think it was appropriate at first, Chairman Garrett pointed out that being selective about who gets the bonuses or not was not a good idea.

Board members ended up approving the adjustment in salaries and bonuses for cabinet members.

The board also approved a number of other new budget items and several new positions for different schools, then approved the federally-funded portion of the budget totaling $3,639,752 without much discussion. They also approved the little over $2 million budget of the school’s food service. Much of this money comes from the USDA.

Superintendent King will be meeting with the county budget committee soon to present the schools’ 2009-2010 budget, which includes no request for increased funds from the county.