School officials watching lawmakers as both prepare 2013 budgets

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January 14, 2013

School officials watching lawmakers as both prepare 2013 budgets

By Christopher Smith christophersmith@daltoncitizen.com The Dalton Daily Citizen Mon Jan 14, 2013, 06:02 AM EST

Since voters approved an amendment in November that gives a state commission power to create charter schools, local school officials are keeping a close eye on lawmakers in Atlanta and Washington, fearing more cuts in education funding.

The charter amendment became law on Jan. 1 and allows the state Department of Education to fund charter schools — which state officials now define as “special schools” — through the state budget. Many opponents of the law say it robs local school boards from having a say in the creation of charter schools and will tighten already cramped budgets.

“This is something we have discussed and tried to get out to the voters before they voted on the amendment,” said Ron Hale, chief financial officer for Whitfield County Schools. “Bottom line: The state is unable to adequately fund the current system ... our district alone is being shorted $10.4 million from the funding levels the state developed for the current year. How can the state fund new charter schools when they can’t even fund the current school systems?

“I think this is true even if new charter schools are approved in other areas of the state. I think the state will increase the austerity cuts to all current systems which will make our financial problems worsen.”

State Superintendent John Barge says the approval of seven charter schools a year would require $430 million over the next five years based on the state’s QBE (Quality Basic Education) funding formula — an equation that tells state officials how much each school district costs to run based primarily on the size of the student body.

“Barge came out and said that approving more charter schools will mean less money for regular public schools,” Jim Hawkins, Dalton Public Schools superintendent, said. “They wouldn’t necessarily take a dollar from us and give it to them, but austerity cuts would come from that. That said, we don’t anticipate state funding to have any additional cuts this year, we’re more concerned about cuts to Title I funding.”

Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act is federal funding intended to help schools in lower-income neighborhoods. Gov. Nathan Deal asked officials from all 180 school districts to come up with backup plans during “fiscal cliff” worries in December.

“That’s been an issue for awhile and it still is (even after the fiscal cliff was averted),” Theresa Perry, city school financial supervisor, said. “There’s still sequestration issues that will have to be dealt with eventually. For right now, we anticipate something like 8 to 15 percent in cuts — so we’re preparing for any adjustments to federal programs to avoid a major impact on the general fund. So if we get some kind of 10 percent reduction, we would look at those grants that are cut.”

Many federal programs like Title I include “salaries and benefits, materials and supplies,” Perry said, adding that any cuts this year would be to materials and supplies.

“We’re waiting on the (state) legislative session to begin (today in Atlanta) and we’re going to watch the process,” she said. “Sometimes, when our state lawmakers cut they protect QBE; sometimes they don’t.”

Officials in both the county and city school systems set their budgets in June — the fiscal year begins July 1 — but Perry expects a first draft of the budget in February.

“The good news is that our enrollment is growing,” she said. “If we take a hit from the new charter schools law — or from the sequestration issue — we should have an increase in revenue to offset our losses.”

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School officials watching lawmakers as both prepare 2013 budgets

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