BENNETTSVILLE — Marlboro County School District administrators presented a progress report on the proposed 2009-10 general fund budget during a special called meeting Monday.
Superintendent Dr. Frank G. Roberson said a team of administrators worked together to use existing funding sources to balanced the district’s proposed budget that totals $28,485,724 and has a deficit of about $360,000.
The budget includes an estimated $1.4 million in stimulus money, but it isn’t enough to balance the budget.
Roberson said the $360,000 deficit has been absorbed through the reallocation of existing funding sources.
Some actions taken by administrators to eliminate the deficit included adjusting the director of finance’s salary to reflect the correct number of years of experience and degree level; cutting the finance department’s budget the equivalent of the director’s salary and two clerical positions were eliminated; the public information officer’s salary was transferred to lottery funds; and two administrators voluntarily reduced their salaries.
To eliminate the deficit, Wes Park, the district’s director of finance, recommends the board approve a 13-mill swap.
The 13 mills would be transferred from debt service to the general fund.
In addition to that, Roberson said the administration recommends a 6.3-mill Consumer Price Index tax increase in anticipation of additional state cuts “that are destined to happen” during the middle of the school year.
“The state has already notified school districts and based on our calculations with the drop in per pupil allocations from the state, we could be looking at (more than) $500,000 in loss of revenue from the state,” Roberson said. “So, we want to be in front of this.”
The 6.3-mill tax increase is said to provide the “margin that the school board will need to maintain the current level of (educating) the children of Marlboro County.”
If a homeowner owns a $100,000 home, that would mean the taxpayer would see an estimated $25 increase on his or her tax bill.
Board member Mike Winburn said he was “bothered” by both the 6.3-mill Consumer Price Index increase and the “fuzzy” 13-mill tax swap proposal given the state of the economy.
Board secretary Barbara Ohanesian continued to call for deeper cuts at the administrative level to help protect school level staff in the event of more state budget cuts.
She also requested the administration research the cost savings of reducing salaries for employees that start at $40,000 and who weren’t teachers, principals and assistant principals.
Ohanesian made her request in a form of a motion, but it was defeated with a vote of 7 to 2.
The board approved giving the administration authorization to present the balanced budget for first reading at the board’s next scheduled meeting at 6 p.m. Aug. 20.
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Marlboro County School District, www.marlboro.k12.sc.us
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