Florence District 1 School board prepares lean budget

FLORENCE — While the battle between state legislators and Gov. Mark Sanford to use federal stimulus money to help schools rages on, Florence School District 1 officials are continuing to prepare a “conservative budget” in case the debated federal aid never arrives.

During a regular meeting Thursday, Luther Rabon, Florence 1’s chief financial officer, presented an updated version of revenue projections for the district’s proposed 2009-10 general fund budget that included a base student cost of $1,929.

That figure represents the current base student cost after all the state budget cuts.

Rabon previously had presented two different versions of the budget based on two different base student cost figures.

The first version included a base student cost of $2,190 and the second version included a base student cost of $1,929.

Superintendent Larry Jackson said it would be very prudent of the board and district to continue to go forward with the base student cost of $1,929, given the status of the state’s budget woes and stimulus money debate.

Sanford has filed a federal lawsuit against state legislators arguing that lawmakers are trying to force him to accept $350 million in federal stimulus money that is to be used for schools and public safety.

“It would be very prudent on our part to continue with the conservative approach we recommended to you previously,” Jackson said. “We can’t wait for that to be resolved. So we need to move forward with this conservative approach being hopeful that should that issue get resolved, sooner rather later, then we will have some additional funds that we can use ... .”

With the conservative figure, the general fund revenue budget totals $104,693,515.

Rabon also presented a list of district-wide budget cuts for the 2009-10 school year that totaled $3,195,987. In other business, the board approved a plan for the use of $2.5 million in Title I stimulus
funding — money that Sanford has no control over.

Projects included in the plan were for instructional purposes and included such programs as the Early Intervention or Reading Recovery, the Extended Day program, literacy labs and a data analysis
consultant. The plan has to be submitted by June 1.

The board also received information on the establishment of three subcommittees that would meet during the summer to discuss the district’s best practices, facilities and planning, and employee satisfaction. The subcommittees are the result of recommendations made to the district during its district accreditation process.

— Staff writer Shireese M. Bell can be reached at (843) 317-7261.