KIMBERLY BELLAMY
The Edgecombe County Board of Education Monday night approved the proposed $62.5 million budget for the 2010-11 school year with a request to the county to increase their allotment by $1,004,943.
The request to the county to fund $7.8 million is an increase of 14.77 percent more than the 2009-10 allotment from the county.
The request specified the local funds would be used for mandatory expense increases including step increases on the state and local salary scales, retirement rate increases, hospitalization increases, maintaining local supplements, maintaining positions, revenue prediction adjustments, cost of anticipated increase of discretionary reduction and increased operating cost.
The district is also counting on the county to provide $65,818 to purchase band uniforms for SouthWest Edgecombe High School. Superintendent Dr. Craig Witherspoon said while the uniforms are needed, that expense could be taken out depending on the final allotments for the budget.
Board Chairwoman Evelyn Wilson asked about plans to manage funding if the county isn’t able to grant the increase.
Finance Director Laurie Leary said she expects the district has planned accordingly with their budget request.
“No one submitted large amounts of increases in their request,” Leary said.
Although the state allotment is expected to increase because of an increase in average daily membership by 58 students, a 35 percent increase in discretionary reduction to the state is expected, resulting in $1,501,088 that the district will have to revert back.
The budget doesn’t restore funding for professional development, improving student accountability, or literacy coaches and no additional money will be allotted for textbooks.
The district also projects a reduction in non-instructional support from the state, which they are planning to use American Recovery and Reinvestment funding and lottery money to cover the loss.
Leary said the disbursements of the lottery funds are unpredictable.
“It shows up really sporadic,” she said.
“We don’t count on that money until it’s in,” Witherspoon said.
Lottery money will also be used to pay the district’s share of a bond payment of $316,241.
The board also approved budget amendments to the 2009-10 school budget with increases, decreases and transfer of funds in several areas.
In other news:
• Edgecombe Community College President Dr. Deborah Lamm invited the board to a meeting in April to discuss forming a partnership to create strategies to improve education and the work force.
• Approved policies 4180 and 5840 on pregnant students and Monitored and Directed Growth Plans, respectively.
• Approved 25 field trip request.
• Approved a historical marker to be placed a Phillips Middle School to recognize the existence of Phillips High School from 1949-71.
• Approved the continuation of agreement with Follett Software Co., formerly Tetra Data, to have a central access point for all of the district’s data.
