Cherokee BOE set to consider budget, millage increase
Cherokee County Board of Education members are scheduled to make a decision July 28 on the school system budget for 2010-2011, and whether to raise property taxes.
Superintendent Frank Petruzielo has proposed a budget of $323 million for instruction, operations and programs, and $100.6 million for building construction and paying debts. Cherokee has been one of the fastest growing school systems in Georgia, and has about 36,000 students. His proposed budget also asks the board to consider a one-mill tax increase that would bring in about $6 million.
School Board Chairwoman Debi Radcliff pointed out the system has added 12,000 students in 10 years without increasing the millage rate.
At the same time, Cherokee County has made $50 million in cuts in the last two years, according to budget records.
The proposed millage increase could be the only option left to prevent cutting into the bone of educational programs, Radcliff said.
The system has been stressed by the economic downturn and falling property values, which decreases the amount of taxes a homeowner pays toward schools. With property values down, some homeowners would pay less in school taxes this year than last year, even with the millage increase.
"I think the misconception is that there hasn't been deep enough cuts that could avoid a millage increase," Radcliff said. "But we are now cutting into the meat and potatoes of our business."
Board member Kim Cochran said, "We have exhausted the ability to cut, cut, cut. We are already cutting into what will affect educational values when we are raising class sizes and stuff like that."
Cherokee Schools have cut teacher and administrative positions and furloughed employees. The budget proposes four furlough days for employees next year and cuts to programs such as teaching foreign languages in elementary schools.
In previous meetings, the board members have expressed concerns about losing the ground the school system has gained in the last decade. Eleven years ago, the system was on probation. That has turned around. In recent years, Cherokee high schools have posted SAT scores above the national average.
Cherokee County's 2010-2011 school budget shows 69 percent of its money spent on instruction, 6.5 percent on maintenance and operations, 6.2 percent on administration and 4.3 percent on transportation. The rest is spent on programming such as pupil services and business services.
About the Author
Christopher Quinn is a writer and editor who has worked for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution since 1999. He writes stories on Veterans Affairs, business including high-tech growth in metro Atlanta, Georgia's $72 billion farm economy, and he oversees assigning and editing news obituaries.
