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Amendment a boost to area schools
Amendment 1 improves funding outlook, but proration in ‘09 likely
Published Saturday, November 8, 2008
With the passage of the state’s Constitutional Amendment 1, local schools are breathing a sigh of relief — for now.
Both local school systems and Troy University officials have said the amendment, which will allow the state to borrow money from a trust fund, will likely carry them through the rest of the school year without making major cuts.
“We will continue business as usual and won’t have to cut any programs this year,” said Pike County Schools Superintendent Mark Bazzell.
But, with state proration most likely on the way, schools shouldn’t get too excited yet.
“We do understand that we still may be faced with proration for the ’09 school year because sales tax revenue is not up at this time,” said Troy City Schools Superintendent Linda Felton-Smith. “Projections are as long as we are under 7 percent we will be OK.”
The amendment will allow legislators to borrow as much as $625 million to offset proration, as well as balance the state’s general fund.
According to the Associated Press, the funds borrowed will have to be paid back in coming years, regardless of whether the economy picks up.
Riley said in a press conference Wednesday, even with the passage of Amendment 1, a hiring freeze will be likely for state departments to offset costs.
But, it will help prevent from cutting back other education programs like the Alabama Reading Initiative and distance learning.
Local schools already survived a small hurdle this month, when 25 percent of their alloted monthly funding was held back temporarily.
Now all school systems have been paid that additional 25 percent, but officials are waiting to see what will happen next.
“We have received that 25 percent, and we are now waiting to see what the sales tax for November will look like to get a better feel for the percentage,” Felton-Smith said. “We are hoping we will not be faced with partials in the next month.”
Superintendents said while the expansion of the rainy day account will ease the burden this year, they aren’t sure what will happen in the next.
“Next year will be a different story because those rainy day funds won’t be available in the next fiscal year,” Bazzell said. “So likely the next fiscal year will be difficult.”
Luckily for Pike County Schools, Bazzell said they should have enough in their reserve funds to last on their own in the 2010 school year.
Felton-Smith said Troy City Schools will just work to be cautious and hope for the best.
“We’ll continue to be cautious with our expenditures because we are faced with difficult times,” Felton-Smith said.
And while they may not know what is to come, all local schools said they are grateful voters have chosen to pass Amendment 1.
“I’m very appreciative of all the people in Pike County and throughout the state that supported Amendment 1 because that shows the people are concerned with education funding,” Felton-Smith said.
Even Troy University said this will help them in hard economic times.
“We are pleased that Amendment 1 was ratified by the voters of Alabama and the fact it will help with proration that looks like is coming,” said Director of Government Relations Marcus Paramore. “As always, Troy University will do everything in their power to be good stewards of the taxpayers money.”
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Comments
Posted by inaword (anonymous) on November 8, 2008 at 10:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I ask this question every time the issue of money for education comes up, and I still don't have a satisfactory answer. Why does Pike county need two school boards? Drop one board and a large percentage of the administration, and spend the money on educating our children.
Posted by Observer22 (anonymous) on November 9, 2008 at 8:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)
While we don't NEED two school boards and two school systems the reason we have them is a matter of history. The City schools existed before the state mandated public education throughout the state and required each county to have a public school system.
Once the public school system was established the question of consolidating raises the issue of which board would be dissolved.
The city schools have been financially sounder than the county schools because the city subsidizes them. If the systems were merged the city would likely stop adding money to the system unless the City Board remained and absorbed the county system.
Consolidation would not save significant money. We used to have four public school systems - one black one white for each the city and county. When the federal court ordered that consolidation not a penny was saved. It takes the same number of teachers, administrators, and janitors to serve (or control) the same number of students regardless of how many boards are in charge.
Some saving could take place if the consolidation closed schools and resulted in having a single high school. That way there would be only one athletic program to finance, one library to fill with books.
Such a consolidation would have to see the only school be located in Troy (not Troy State) as it is central and would require closing the schools in Goshen and Brundidge. The additional transportation cost probably would negate an other savings.
Posted by elvis2 (anonymous) on November 9, 2008 at 11:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Observer22 , I agree with your opinion yet cannot wholehearterly believe that there could not be sufficient savings enough to not eliminate one school board . It is done in quite a few states and works fine . Anytime you have duplication of services you waste money . True the savings may not go into the millions but any savings when your faced with a financial situation is good . Part of the problem is trying to hold on to the way it has been done for years , yet we have to move on as things aren't the same as they were years ago.
Posted by inaword (anonymous) on November 9, 2008 at 1:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Thank you Observer22, though I don't agree 100% that it would not save a significant amount of money, (maybe not in the millions, but in the hundreds of thousands) I appreciate you explanation. Why would you have to close schools, and eleminate sports programs? Couldn't they just be funded on equal levels (per school population) without reducing contributons?
I can see where the transportation issue would come in also. That probably would absorb any savings. Ok...
Posted by Ramsey (anonymous) on November 9, 2008 at 4:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
As Observer22 said, the Troy City Schools were established over 100 years ago. If they were to be closed it would take a resolution by the sitting city school board and then it would have to be ratified by the city council. The systems would go under the control of the sitting county school board and their superintendent. There would be some savings, but as Observer22 pointed out, real savings could only come with some consolidation; the two county highschools and the junior high grades from Banks could allow for personnel cuts and that along with a savings in operating costs would save money. As already pointed out the cost of transporting these students would be significant and would cause a decrease in the savings. In my opinion, Inaword is correct, that combining the systems would save about three to four hundred thousand. There is no money coming directly from the city to the city schools. The local monies received by both school systems come from the sales taxes that were put on by the county commission and advalorem taxes. There is significant "support" from the city in services, etc.
Posted by Observer22 (anonymous) on November 9, 2008 at 8:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Eliminating a school board would not result in savings by itself - - neither board has paid members. A consolidated system would still be required to have the same number of teachers, administrators, librarians, school bus mechanics etc., as the separate systems have.
Consolidation of central offices would result in one Superintendent being transformed into an assistant or deputy Superintendent but with no change in salary.
The consolidation of schools would similarly result changing titles without changing expenses. Professional staffing in the form of principals, assistant principals, librarians and library aides, teachers, teachers aides etc., are dictated by accreditation standards based on the number of students; the number of mechanics is dictated by the state department of education based on the number of buses.
Consolidation could save the salaries of a few janitors if campuses are abandoned, but abandoning campuses would require expanding the ones absorbing the closing schools.
The only significant savings would be realized in eliminating two head coaches/athletic directors and the supplements paid to the assistants on two staffs.
When Wayne Grant was coaching at Brundidge he was also a classroom teacher with real classes. If the new coach there and the head coach in Goshen are classroom teachers only the extra they are paid for coaching would be involved. The only real savings would come from the any coach in the merged system who presently does not have any legitimate classroom responsibility.
Posted by Observer22 (anonymous) on November 9, 2008 at 8:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Years ago the city had a long history of supplementing the school board's budget with a separate appropriation independent of ad valorem and sales taxes. The City has also been involved in property acquisition and disposal any time the board sought to build new schools or close old ones.
In the City's 2006-7 financial statement there is a notation of a payment by the City for the School system of $55,000 (also a payment by the city for Troy State in the sum of $325,000) (see page 35 City of Troy Financials without Grants 2007). Similary, in 2005 the city paid $60,000 on behalf of the city schools and $304,265.00 for Troy State.
The point being that as long as the City schools are a separate entity they can depend on the City for support when needed. If the systems were combined the City would have no such obligation and the County would not have the fiscal ability.
Posted by Ramsey (anonymous) on November 9, 2008 at 9:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
@Observer22
Actually the Pike County Board members are paid; not sure of the amount, but they are paid.
Consolidation of the systems would not necessarily result in one superintendent going to work as the assistant. It might, but it would not be automatic. If the city superintendent had a contract, the contract would need to be paid even if the position was abolished.
Staffing is not determined by SACS, it is a formula that is developed by the State Department of Education. In all probability, the number of teachers that the three high schools currently have would not be needed in a consolidated high school. There are currently six and one half administrators at the three schools, you would not need that many in a new school. You currently have either four or five counselors at the three schools; three librarians; three band directors; three nurses or access to three nurses; four secretaries; three bookkeepers; etc. My point is there is substanial room to cut the cost, but it isn't necessarily going to provide a better education for the students in Pike County. There would be savings in athletics, but a combined high school would probably serve fewer students in athletics than the three schools are currently serving.
Posted by turtle (anonymous) on November 10, 2008 at 8:01 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Yes Coach Waggoner is a teacher at PCHS as are the two coaches he brought with him. Coach Grant is also still an instructor with PCHS and I believe still considered athletic director but I'm not 100% on that. He does still however hold the landscaping contracts. Personally as a parent, I don't want my child in a school with appx 300 to a grade and that is what would happen with consolidation. I see no positives in consolidation.
Posted by PalinRocks (anonymous) on November 10, 2008 at 9:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I taught in Pike County for years. Alabama was almost always in proration. We never had enough funds to buy what was needed in the classroom. Much of my supplies were bought with my own money or donated by parents if they could afford to help. I've even picked up bookshelves from beside the road that someone tossed out, painted it and used it in my classroom. Never in my years there did the Alabama Government provide for schools adequately. The money is there, they are just not using it wisely. Two schools systems per county is wasteful.
I moved to GA several years ago and I teach elementary school. My salary is 16,000 a year more than it would be in AL. How? Lotto. Also, GA uses the money wisely. All school systems in Georgia are "county schools". ONE school system per county. The tax money is used for all schools.
I don't agree with gambling (lotto), but I don't have to participate in the lotto to enjoy the benefits from the money the school system recieves from it. People from Alabama are coming over the state line to buy lotto tickets and are supporting our school systems here. You need new leaders in Montgomery. Vote out the old ones who never do anything different and get some that will. Make your voices be heard.
Posted by Jack_Bauer (anonymous) on November 10, 2008 at 12:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
UNIFORMS
Posted by OldSchoolPike3Worker (anonymous) on November 10, 2008 at 6 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Man, You guys are smart!!
Posted by inaword (anonymous) on November 10, 2008 at 7:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Ga, Fla, and Miss lobbiest pay good money to keep a lottery out of Alabama.
Posted by Observer22 (anonymous) on November 11, 2008 at 9:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
If we are going to broach the lottery issue why not have a national lottery - let every post office be a ticket office - and use the proceeds to pay off the debt from Bush's tax cuts and war?
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