RSS Feed
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Boise tax shortfall a concern The Clarke County Board of Education voted Aug. 30 to approve the fiscal 2008 budget. Expected expenditures are $32,306,626.00, and expected revenues are $29,670,130.00. Instructional services makes up 50 percent of the budget ($16,165,461.00), said Chief Financial Officer Carmen Rotch. Total state revenue is $20,833,321.00; federal, $4,097,618.00; and local, $4,523,191.00. The state did not provide as much money for transportation services this year, she said. Rotch expressed concern about the lack of $600,000 in tax revenue from Boise's Jackson paper mill operations for the fiscal 2007 budget. "If we don't get it before the end of September, we will have to go into our reserve (in the range of $400,000 to $500,000)." Boise filed a challenge last fall to the Clarke County Board of Equalization's assessment of property taxes for the Jackson mill. They wanted to reduce some $297 million in appraised tax values on various parts of the mill to just over $118 million. The board rejected the challenge, and Boise appealed to Clarke County Circuit Court. No court date has been set. If the Boise tax revenue does not come in by September 2008, "I don't know what we will do," Rotch said. "…We will have to deal with it when the time comes." She is hopeful that new revenue will come from the new Louisiana Pacific mill. One positive is that sales tax revenue has risen 15 percent this year from last year, she said. In other action from the board meeting, Rotch reported that teachers would be receiving a $525 debit cards to buy instructional supplies. The card is being used to cut down on the number of purchase orders issued by the central office. Rotch also reported on a financial accountability report where Principal Jessie Taylor of Jackson Middle School purchased $7,500 in computers, however, the purchase was in violation of the school system policy of collective purchasing. The following personnel moves were approved: - the resignation of bus driver Jamie Jackson; - employment of Sonja Creighton, Child Nutrition Program Assistant at Wilson Hall Middle School; Lucille Taylor, maid at Grove Hill Elementary; Iris Anderson, nurse at Coffeeville High School; and Ethel Whitaker, bus driver in the Jackson area. The following were approved for catastrophic sick leave/family medical leave: - Dana Beck at Jackson Middle School, bus driver Emma Fenderson, and Joan Smith at Jackson Intermediate School. An annual contract of $25,000 was approved for Carey Clayton, alternative school director for Grove Hill schools. The board approved $11,256 for an Alabama Risk Management payment and $6,753.60 for School Superintendent Association dues. Bills totaling $779,400.32 for July and payroll in the amount of $2,014,339.36 was approved. Some furniture has been installed in the new Clarke County High School building, Stephens said, and landscaping is being done. However, the new campus building will not be officially open until January 2008. "We could probably rush to get into that building," he said, "but rather than disturb what is going with this first semester," Stephens said time will be taken for last minute issues. A new band room will be constructed once the old cafeteria is cleared out. New bids will go out for the concession stand, ticket booth and restrooms at the new baseball/softball fields. Lightning struck the irrigation system at the new fields, the superintendent said, and new parts will need to be purchased. He also praised the work done on the grounds of Jackson High School with the ornamental security fence, gates and landscaping.
The next board meeting will be held at 4 p.m. on Sept. 27.
|
for larger version       Ads have a Patent Pending. Click Here for More Information |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
