By: Kent McCarty
As state sales tax revenue falls due to the poor economy, the state is cutting back education funds across the board by 5% to compensate. As a result, the Lamar County School District now has to cope with a loss of $1.85 million in state funding; a task that school district officials say will not be easy. The state has also warned of additional cuts slated for the beginning of 2010, giving district officials the added burden of planning for future funding losses.
On the district level, the board is cutting budgets for each school in the district by 5%, as well as delaying bus purchases for this year. “[By doing this] we think we can make the cut we are experiencing now, but my biggest concern is the future,” Superintendent, Dr. Ben Burnett, said. “As one of the fastest-growing districts in the state (we grew by 800 students in the last two years along), we need to begin building more schools in the near future. These cuts are going to make this much more difficult.”
The district has formed a budget committee, comprised of parents, teachers, and administrators, as a way for people in the community to submit budget cutting solutions that will help the school district accommodate for future cuts. The budget committee has its sights set on trimming the 2010-2011 by 10% to alleviate the effects of future shortfalls.
Another way the district plans to meet the budget shortfall is by reducing funds spent on utility costs by $200,000. “Green Teams” were formed this year as a way to take any steps to decrease energy uses throughout the district. Green Teams are each run by an administrator, lead custodian, and school maintenance worker, all of whom take steps to decrease utility costs. To oversee these teams, the school board elevated HVAC technician Nathan Rankin to the position of “energy manager.” By doing this, the school board has filled a position that can be very useful in decreasing energy costs with someone already on the payroll, preventing the need for additional funding during a time when money is tight.
The school board has also begun monitoring energy usage per square foot in every building, and is asking that students and teachers help by being mindful of energy saving measures. “We expect lights to be turned off when not in use,” Burnett said. In addition to monitoring light usage, teachers are also expected to make sure their classroom computers are powered down when not in use. Two copiers have also been removed from OGHS teacher workrooms, and teachers now must buy their own paper, whereas the school previously provided several cases of paper yearly. The new energy managers are also working with each campus in the district to check air conditioner settings after hours and on weekends. With so many buildings throughout the district, the school board thinks they can successfully decrease energy costs by a sizable amount with these changes.
