Rock Hill Schools Discuss Budget Woes

Tuesday's Rock Hill Herald has a good summary of the Rock Hill Schools Work session on Monday, January 12, 2009. You can read their recap here.

In a brief summary, the board asked the administration to transfer capital fund money into the operating reserve to replace almost $3 million of operating reserve that had been spent on capital projects over the past two years. This would negate some of the classroom cuts that have been implemented or proposed by the administration for this year. This idea was first suggested by the board in June of 2008. In a room full of Principals, apparently at the administration's request, the board heard the administration say they would rather spend the capital money on parking lots, and bleachers than restore money to the school budgets. Never-the-less, the administration agreed to check with our bond attorney to see if the transfer of funds could be done legally (although they acknowledged they were aware of other districts doing so). On a positive note, if conservative budgeting holds true to past years, there is a good chance we will have enough revenue to finish the year with a balanced budget and not have to go into the reserve fund.

If current state spending cuts hold up for next year, and no one is saying they will not, next years budget will be much more difficult to balance than the board has been told. For starters, we will not be going into the year with a $4 million dollar surplus from the previous year. That alone is the equivalent of 66 teaching positions. Not that the budget has to be balanced on teaching positions - and indeed it shouldn't be. This should be the last place to look for balancing the budget.

Other items covered during the meeting were; Phil Leazer gave an update on the "2010 Pennies for Progress"; the administration gave their recommended companies for Architectural & Engineering Indefinite Delivery Contracts; and Belleview teachers and students gave an update on some of the programs and activities going on at their school.