Schools slim budget request

By Jane DeGeorge

Published: June 11, 2008

By Jane DeGeorge
Eagle Reporter

If Madison County Public Schools receive any new local money this coming fiscal year it will go toward employees’ salaries, officials said Monday.

Earlier this week, the school board approved yet another revised budget – its third revision this year – which includes the same amount of county money as it received during the 2007-2008 fiscal year. In order to offset decreases in state and federal funding and increases in fuel and electricity costs, officials eliminated a proposed average salary raise of five percent for all employees, according to Superintendent Brenda Tanner.

The revised budget includes the same salaries offered to all employees during the current fiscal year as well as decreases from the previously requested amounts set aside for:

• Summer school.

• Employees’ fringe benefits, due to the salary changes and a change in state funding.

• Professional development.

• Equipment repair.

Officials also eliminated one teaching position and one part-time federally funded Book Buddies position, the superintendent said at the school board’s regularly scheduled June 9 meeting.

County officials recently prepared a revised proposed budget, which includes a five-cent increase of the equalized real estate tax rate – bringing it to 45 cents per $100 of assessed value. Officials have proposed to set aside approximately $195,500 (the amount of money generated by increasing the tax rate by one cent) to support Madison County Public Schools if the budget and tax rate increases are approved in late June.

If the schools receive this additional money, Tanner said officials would likely use it to pay for a salary increase of about one percent for employees.

The Madison County Board of Supervisors will host a second public hearing regarding its revised 2008-2009 fiscal year budget and its proposed tax rate and fee increases set to begin at 6:30 p.m. Monday, June 16 in the auditorium of the County Administration Center at 414 N. Main St. in downtown Madison.