City schools foresee another proration

State legislatures gathered with school officials Jan. 26 at Bob Jones to discuss the education budget and tenure reform for Madison City Schools.

The meeting, which took place over breakfast in the culinary arts reception area, brought the school board together with state representatives Sen. Bill Holtzclaw, Rep. Mike Ball and Rep. Mac McCutheon.

The main topic at hand and the one that gave the board “the most concern and pause,” was the budget for the 2011-2012 school year, also known as FY12.

Superintendent Dr. Dee Fowler said it doesn’t appear the school system will be receiving those extra stimulus dollars for the upcoming school year.

“We were telling our legislatures that when FY12 starts, we’re going to be $5 million less in revenues than in FY11, because the stimulus money has gone away,” Fowler said.

Fowler said the system can expect a 3 to 5 percent proration.

David Smith, city schools’ financial advisor, said the school system cannot take another proration after a 6.7 percent proration in 2008 and 9.5 percent proration this year.

Fowler, along with board members, asked state legislatures to have a budget back to them as soon as possible, preferably before the end of the school year.

“We ask it to be as timely as possible,” Fowler said. “If there are cuts, we need to make them before school is out.”

He said composing the education budgets and general fund budget for the state are usually some of the last actions legislatures take.

Madison City Finance Director Lisa McMurray said the extra stimulus money funded assistant principals, nurses, custodians and clerical workers, as well as other school programs.

One of the main reasons Woody Sanderson, school board attorney, said it is important to get the budget as soon as possible is because non-tenured personnel who will not be rehired next school year have to be notified before the last day of classes.