Talk is cheap, or at least affordable, so officials from the Newberry County School District are set to spend more time discussing having less money to spend in education.

“Revenue reductions alone are close to $3 million for the ‘09-’10 (school year),“ reported district Chief Financial Officer Susan Dowd this month. “With the estimates that I’m seeing right now, we need to cut about $2.6 million from our general fund budget.“

Eighty-five percent of the district’s budget supports personnel, but officials insist cuts to the teaching staff won’t come without discussion first.

At various levels within Newberry’s education system, doors are open for conversation on how to handle the funding cuts.

Even statewide, State Superintendent Jim Rex yesterday reported more harmony between districts as they work together for ideas.

Last week, representatives from a group made up of the State Department of Education and individual districts’ chief financial officers and superintendents pulled together ideas to help soften the budget cut blow.

But there’s still plenty to say.

Newberry’s board members are urging everyone to send a message.

from the community... “I think one of the things that we can do as a board and as a public too, is to go home and as soon as possible, e-mail all your state legislators, the governor and everyone else to please support public education and please send us our money,“ said board chairman Don Saylor.

Face-to-face chat will also be available at the district level with an upcoming June public hearing, and at the monthly school board meetings.

Plus, the district will discuss proposed cutback measures at two upcoming public work sessions. The first budget talk meeting is slated for 6:30 p.m. Feb. 9 at the Learning Center, midway between January and February’s normally scheduled board meetings.

“We will have several budget work sessions with the school board over the next few months,“ said Dowd. “ It is required that we have a public hearing and two readings of the budget for approval by the board. Normally, first reading is in May and the public hearing and second readings are in June.“

from the board...

Newberry’s six elected board members will get to voice concerns to those nearer to the state law- and budget-making processes at three upcoming events.

The first is today’s annual legislative banquet in Newberry at the Newberry County Farm Bureau Office.

The second is a local legislative delegation breakfast that’s still in its planning stage.

“We don’t get (the local delegation’s) undivided attention very often,“ said Superintendent Bennie Bennett. “I want to sit down with our cabinet members and let them know we have some concerns and we’d like them to lend their support to us.“

Board members plan to avoid attending the meetings all at one time so as not to form a quorum, a majority of the elected body that would upgrade a “gathering“ to a “meeting.“

Also, the board can have talk time at its annual chance at the capitol, but because of budget cuts, it has to share the opportunity with more districts this year.

“Every year, we get invited to the Day at the Capitol and there’s been some changes this year,“ said Bennett. “The House and Senate, they will be on furlough the week of Jan. 19-23 and March 16-20. Jan. 21 and March 18 were the two days we had on the calendar for our day at the capitol.“

Now Newberry’s day is backed up to April 22 with many other counties, including Lexington, Oconee, Pickens and McCormick.

“It not only gives us opportunities to interact with our representatives, but with representatives from the state,“ said Bennett.



from principals...

Principals are also in the mix, and called on by district administration to add solutions to the budget problem.

“We’ve asked for information from our principals,“ said Dowd. “We’ll be scheduling the meetings that we usually have with them for input on their enrollment, as well as their ideas and suggestions on how we can help with our budget.“

To Saylor and others, the financial clouds aren’t likely to clear for a while.

“Some of the cuts coming from the state are going to fall back into the county to replace,“ said Saylor. “It’s some tough times and from what I’ve seen in the past, unfortunately we’re not going to see it turn around in a year.“