MACON, Ga. — The Bibb County School Board discussed a budget plan to fund schools in an effort to offset the costs of COVID-19.
According to a Board of Education Budget Work Session presentation, the board talked about a memo from the House of Representatives Appropriations Chair, the Senate Appropriations Chair, and the Office of Planning and Budget Director asking every state agency to prepare an Fiscal Year 2021 budget that includes a 14 percent reduction from their FY 2020 original base budget. This includes formula funding for local school systems. The reduction for the school district would be about $18.5 million.
According to the presentation, the district will receive $10.6 million in CARES Act funds to help offset the costs of COVID-19, but some of that funding must be directed to private schools and other district COVID-19 expenses. Even if 100 percent of the $10.6 million were to be used to offset the $18.5 million budget reduction, the district would still see a $7.9 million loss in state funding. This loss, along with other changes, is projected to be a $10.1 million deficit for the 2021 fiscal year, bringing the district’s fund balance to $19.5 million, or 9.06 percent.
Here is the proposal for how the funds would be allotted:
- Furloughs: one day of furlough could reduce expenditures by $808,815. With 239-day employees being furloughed 12 days, 225-day employees 11 days, 190- to 215-day employees 10 days, and 180- to 182-day employees 8 days, the District could reduce expenditures by $8,188,721.
- Use of Fund Balance Reserves ($4 million)
- Millage rate increase ($4 million)
- Shorten the school year
- Reduction of Central Office and school-level positions (In progress)
- Freezing step increases on the salary scale ($1.7 million)
- Freezing of position vacancies
- Reduction of operations by 5% (additional $0.6 million)
- Eliminate consultants ($0.09 million)
- Eliminate service agreements ($0.6 million)
- Eliminate summer school ($0.7 million)
- Reduce the allotment formula for assistant principals and clerical staff at schools
- Consolidation of schools and possible rezoning
- Delay of 1-to-1 Initiative until new ESPLOST revenues are received
- Moratorium on all travel
- Utilize a four-day work week
- Modifications or elimination of programs
- IB Program ($0.1 million)
- Advanced Placement Program (nominal)
- SAM Program ($0.4 million)
- Leader in Me
- School City ($0.2 million)
- College and Career Academy (reduction in a minimum of one teacher at each high school $0.5 million; other potential reductions at CCA to be determined)
- WiSH Printing
- Athletics costs
- Grants that are not 100% grant funded (added costs such as personnel, travel, etc. funded by General Fund)
- Various combinations of the above
State legislators have yet to approve a state budget for 2021. Legislators are set to return to session June 11.The board could pass a spending resolution by July 1, 2020, allowing the district to continue operations in the next fiscal year (beginning July 1, 2020) while assessing actual numbers from the state.
Superintendent Curtis Jones advised the district would plan for a budget that would include a reduction of system positions, a reduction of operations, and a plan to use fund balance. Additionally, the district will not plan for a textbook adoption for FY 2021.
The spending resolution will be presented to the board for action in June.
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