Schools review proposed 2010-11 budget

Mar 3, 2010 — Independent Tribune

Jessica Groover

Mar. 3, 2010 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- CONCORD -- -- Asking for bids when purchasing technology, combining seventh and eighth-grade sports teams and buying in bulk were ideas members of the Cabarrus County Board of Education suggested for saving money when they reviewed the first draft of the 2010-11 proposed budget on Monday.

The board will continue to review the budget at a work session later in the month and is scheduled to adopt it next month.

Prior to reviewing the proposals, the board held a public hearing for the community to address members regarding the budget.

Three people signed up to speak during the public hearing.

James Kirks asked that members remember the late school system transportation director, George Douglas, and his efforts for staff development.

"He always stressed that bus drivers are just as important as other people in the school system," Kirks said. "I would like to make sure you recognize what he's done and consider adding the staff development he worked on."

The other speakers were Leigh Smith, band director at Northwest Cabarrus Middle School, and Steve Petrucci, band director at Central Cabarrus High School. They said they were representing all band directors in the county.

Because Smith said the middle school band directors teach about 23 percent of students and the high school directors teach about 11 percent, they asked to have money put back in the budget. Last year, the band budget was eliminated, Smith said.

"Our programs have grown so much," Smith said. "We have no money for the growth. We would like some support for our students."

After the public hearing, Kelly Kluttz, finance officer for the school system, presented the first draft of the 2010-11 budget, beginning with capital outlay.

"In regular capital outlay funding, we are asking for funding of $2,152,500, minimum from the county," Kluttz said.

In the draft, the school system is also recommending around $5.3 million in Qualified School Construction Bonds (QSCB), which are funded by federal money and used for the construction, rehabilitation or repair of school facilities.

Among the projects listed to complete with QSCB funds are renovations for the exceptional children pre-school program at A.T. Allen Elementary School and replacing the chiller, roofs and exhaust hoods at schools across the district.

In the budget's draft, the regular capital outlay funds of $2.1 million cover items required for operations, Kluttz said. The biggest expense and highest priority is lease payments for technology equipment, which totals $1 million, she said.

Also in the regular capital outlay funds, the proposed budget lists a three-year upgrade and standardization of technology equipment for administration and finance departments, which Kluttz said must be replaced to work properly.

Cindy Fertenbaugh, vice chairwoman for the school board, requested asking for bids from several companies to save money when making these purchases.

"This is a wide open market in technology," Fertenbaugh said.

Michael Stocks, technology manager for the school system, said the department evaluates several vendors and is trained to use Dell.

In addition to projects the system will be hoping to fund with its 2010-11 budget, the board reviewed four pages of school and department requests that the system is not currently asking for, which include renovating the cafeteria at Concord High School and replacing the outside mobile restroom at Royal Oaks Elementary School, among other things.

"We need to point out what we are requesting is a pittance of what we need," said Wayne Williams, chairman for the school board.

As the board continued to review the budget's first draft, board members made other suggestions for saving money, including combining some seventh and eighth-grade sports teams, which other districts have done, said school board member Holly Blackwelder.

"We may need to address some of that because of the economy," Blackwelder said. "It may not be a long-term solution."

She asked system staff to examine what the potential savings would be.

If that were to happen, board member Andrea Palo suggested looking at having recreational or club teams instead.

As the board reviewed the system's technology requests, Fertenbaugh asked about buying equipment in bulk. Stocks said that the department is working on standardizing items, like the types of projector bulbs, but schools do their own purchasing.

The final area the board reviewed on the first draft of the budget was facilities and operations.

"Last year, we reduced personnel in facilities and operations by three," Kluttz said. "This year, we are not asking to increase."

Kluttz also said no salary increases among the staff were projected.

Other significant budget items listed were the replacement of three vehicles with mileage of more than 100,000, and increases in mowing contracts and turf improvement for the two new schools opening this year, Patriots Elementary School and Hickory Ridge Middle School.

The proposed budget lists $1.7 million in capital maintenance projects, including roof replacements for several buildings, re-sealing and re-striping the tracks at C. C. Griffin and Harris Road middle schools and replacing classroom windows at R. Brown McAllister Elementary School.

The proposed budget lists grounds improvement projects at $531,500. These projects include fencing at Pitts School Road Elementary School and playground shelters at several elementary schools.

The school board's next meeting is Monday, at 6 p.m.

Contact reporter Jessica Groover: 704-789-9152

Newstex ID: KRTB-0293-42517397