Staff Writer

Troy City Schools $14 million budget was evaluated, Monday afternoon, during the first of two public hearings.

The combined budget for revenues, expenditures and changes in fund balances indicated total revenues fro the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2002 will be $13.9 million.

Total expenditures are expected to be a little over $14 million.

A printout of the proposed annual budget has the beginning fund balance (Oct. 1, 2001) at $3.04 million. The ending fund balance (Sept. 30, 2002) is listed as $3.05 million.

"At this point, we’re okay," said Hank Jones, superintendent of the school system. "We did cut out on some things."

Jones said the Troy is one of the few school systems that saw growth this past year.

Last year’s budget was $13.1 million.

"That has helped us weather some storms," Jones said of growth within the school system.

Another help has been the refinancing of the bond issue.

The 3.80 percent proration will have an impact on the school system that has three schools and shares a technology campus with Pike County.

Troy City Schools are expected to receive about $8.5 million from the state during the next fiscal year. The federal government will pitch in about $1.45 million. Local revenues are $3.94 million.

Taking action to cut some expenses and refinance a bond issue may save Troy City Schools from going to the bank like other school systems in Alabama, including Pike County, which had the board authorize a line of credit with local banks for up to $900,000 per month as needed to meet payroll and pay bills and accounts.

Troy City Schools is not among the 50 school systems statewide that are having to borrow money to operate. Alabama has 128 school systems.

Cuts in the other current expense money will likely be one of the biggest impacts on the school system, Jones said of the money used to offset increases in utilities, which he doesn’t see decreasing anytime soon.

"OCE will impact us forever," Jones said of the estimated $200,000 to $300,000 loss in other current expenses.

A second public hearing on the budget has not been set. After that public hearing, the board of education will have to approve the budget.

The budget will likely be approved at the Aug. 20 board meeting.

Also, a public hearing was held to consider the Internet Instructional Policy that must be changed to comply with federal regulations. Changes are more a matter of being in writing than actual changes in the policy.

The policy is meant to insure filtering from obscene content and limit use of mail and chat room.

In order to

receive E-Rate money, the changes must be made. Without those funds, the school system will not be able to afford Internet access.