Rock Hill Schools 2009-10 Budget is Bad. REALLY BAD!

The Rock Hill Schools administration will present two draft budgets at the April Business Meeting on Monday, April 27, 2009 (6 pm at the District Office). The worse case budget is based on the SC state senate proposal which does not include stimulus money the governor has refused to accept. Highlights of that are:

• No supplemental National Board Teacher pay - a reduction of $3,000 for Nationally Certified Board Teachers and a reduction in the budget of $750,000
• Teacher pay reduction of 2.6% and all others having a 3.8% reduction, resulting in $2.25 million savings in the budget
• Eliminating 70 jobs with a budget savings of $3.7 million
• Eliminate Challenger Scholarships for a savings of $75,000
• Reduce the amount spent for substitute teachers for a savings of $250,000
• Reduce supplies to the schools in the amount of $80,000
• Reduce travel by 50% for a savings of $200,000

The SC state house budget version includes stimulus money. If this plan is adopted by the state, only 20 jobs will be eliminated, National Board pay will be reduced by $1,000 instead of being eliminated and salaries will only be reduced by 1.1% and 1.5% respectively.

Neither option to be presented by the administration is a balanced budget. Both include dropping the district fund balance below limits set in Board policy and request a maximum tax increase of 6 mils.

In action items for the meeting, the administration will be asking the board to forgive the last snow make up day and to agree to a called work session on May 4 just to discuss the budget.

Anyone wishing to speak to the Board on National Board Pay or the Challenger program can sign up before the meeting and address the Board at the beginning of the meeting.

The Board agenda can be found here., and below:

I. Call to Order

Approval of Agenda

(Under consent agenda, all action items will be voted on after one motion and second to approve them without discussion. If a board member wants any action item discussed or voted on separately, the board member, before the agenda is approved, must ask that the action item be moved to the discussion item section.)

II. Citizen Participation

III. Special Business

A. Recognition of Winners of State Superintendent's Writing Awards Program

B. Recognition of District Accreditation from Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

C. Recognition of ATC State Winners

IV. Consent Action Agenda

A. Approval of Minutes

1. March 23, 2009 business meeting

2. April 6, 2009 work session

B. Approval of Personnel Recommendations

C. Approval of Overnight Field Trip Requests (2)

D. Approval of Children's Attention Home Charter School Application

E. Approval of Funding Flexibility Application

V.Communications

VI. Report of the Superintendent

A. Announcements

B. Preliminary Budget Report

C. Technology Report

D. Title VII Funding

VII. Review of Work Session

VIII. Action Agenda

A. Forgiveness of Snow Make-up Day

B. Called Work Session for Budget Purposes – May 4

IX. Other Business

X. Executive Session

XI. Adjourn