Caroline Still Struggles over School Budget

Portsia Smith reported this at the Free Lance Star:

A $400,000 difference in what the School Board wants and what Caroline County’s top official proposes could determine whether teachers lose their jobs.

The Board of Supervisors said they wanted more time to review the $11.7 million school budget and did not vote on it Tuesday night.

County Administrator Percy Ashcraft proposes $11.3 million for the school system next year, which the School Board says will have consequences.

School Board member Wendell Sims said, “$400,000 represents eight teaching positions. The net result could be layoffs and increased class sizes.”

Wayne Acors, supervisors chairman, said supervisors can’t give out money they don’t have.

“There are things that we aren’t going to be able to fund that we have in the past,” he said. “This year is an extremely trying time for us all, individually and as a county.”

One question was about changes in the Career and Technical Education program. Supervisor Floyd Thomas was concerned about the elimination of the automotive technology class. Superintendent Greg Killough said enrollment for that class has dropped from 40 to 16 students.

To give those students other options, the school budgeted $114,000 in new CTE programs, which include fashion design, banking and police science.

But Supervisor Jeff Sili wasn’t sure if this was the time to start new programs.

“$114,000 to stop a child from being out in the streets? “Yes, it is worth it,” Killough said. “Every dollar we put into a child is worth it, or we may have to deal with them later.”

Ashcraft said the supervisors will make a decision on the school budget by May 1.

I’m glad I’m not the one who has to answer for the decisions.  The Board of Supervisors and School Board are having to look at the same unanswerable questions as many other companies and county officials.

I’ve expressed before this question, and I’ll say it again.  If I were faced with these decisions, I would choose the majority of the school body and academics and get rid of extracurricular after school functions.  Yes, I participated in sports in school, but no one ever asked me how I did in football at a job interview.  My vote? Keep the teachers and save money on sports and additional activity buses activity, until the school can easily support all of it.

I’d also be interested to see statistics showing that those who took vocational training in high school used it in later life.  Most people I know who went on to higher education, did not sustain a career in their Major.  To allocate funds to “fashion design” which may steal a young persons heart, but results in very few successful careers, seems to be a disservice to the student.   I’m with Mr. Sili, to even breath “new programs” and “termination of educators” in the same breath is pretty much a no-brainer decision.

Tagged as: caroline, county, County Board of Supervisors, cutback, education, schools