First reading of Florence School District 5’s proposed 2009-10 general fund budget totaling $9.9 million has been approved by members of the board of trustees.
The Johnsonville-based school district budget doesn’t include any reduction in staff, Superintendent Dr. Dale Strickland said in a telephone interview Tuesday.
Strickland said projected revenue for next year was $657,469 short and the district is looking to the passage of a flexibility bill and stimulus funds to offset the deficit.
“We’re playing a game, but we don’t know the rules yet,” he said. “The stimulus package and the flexibility issue that the state is dealing with will have a prominent play in what we can and what we can’t do.”
A bill that would allow school districts the flexibility to delay contract renewals, furlough teachers in an effort to avoid layoffs and transfer funds to different accounts, among other items, has been presented in the General Assembly and has been approved by the Senate Finance Committee.
Strickland said the district also has a clause in teacher contracts that, should there be an economic downturn and there are no funds are available, the district has the flexibility to do “what it needs to do to balance the budget, whether that means a reduction in force or furloughs."
Strickland said that’s something he hopes the district won't have to do.
“Hopefully, we can get the relief that we need to put everything into perspective for the next year,” he said. “The reality is out there and it doesn’t look very good. We have to take it one day at a time and we have to make projections based on what the present situation is.”
Strickland said district officials have decided to look at furloughs, if the legislation is passed, in an effort to keep from laying off employees.
If all employees were furloughed for five days, that could give the district about $120,000 to offset the deficit.
If the district received any stimulus funds, that could be another $150,000 for the shortfall.
So far, the district has received a reduction of $565,000 in state funds. That doesn’t include the recent 2-percent in Education Finance Act funds.
During the board’s regular meeting, Strickland also provided an update on the Johnsonville Public Library.
The library’s groundbreaking is scheduled for April. The new library will offer high-speed Internet, meeting rooms and other resources.
Strickland said the Friends of the Library for Johnsonville has begun taking membership dues. The money would be used for purchasing items that would be located in the library.
Individual membership is $10 a year, $25 a year for families and $100 for a lifetime membership.
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