Schools face personnel cuts
By Deborah Bennett Millen News Editor

The Jenkins County Board of Education (BOE) announced last week that nine professional positions will be eliminated for fiscal year 2008-2009, five at Jenkins County Elementary School; two at Jenkins County Middle School and 2.5 at Jenkins County High School.

Jenkins County School Superintendent Joan Blackwood noted that the positions eliminated were those that were originally funded through state and/or federal funds/grants that have either gone away or been reduced.

"Local funding for these nine eliminated positions would have resulted in an increase of approximately 3 mils in property taxes," said Superintendent Blackwood. "At the public hearings in the fall, the public made it clear that they expected the school system to cut expenditures for non-essential positions, and we are following through with their expectations. These decisions have been painful for everyone involved in the decision-making process."

She also noted that BOE members and school principals participated, beginning in January, in the zero-based budget process and in prioritizing those positions not included in the budget for funding decisions. It was determined during the budgeting process that the school system had 22 professional positions over the number of positions in the budget for next year. Of those 22 positions, eight meet the funding requirements for federal grant programs and will be paid from federal grants and five will be paid from local funds. This left nine positions to be eliminated.

"The locally funded positions are considered essential because they are needed for state, federal, accreditation or other requirements," said Ms. Blackwood.

Superintendent Blackwood also called attention to the correlation between student enrollment and teaching positions funded by the state. The local school system has approximately 100 less students than for the same time period last year, translating into fewer teaching positions funded by the state. She also noted that the local school system has received a reduction in state and federal funds of $2,178,782 since 2005.

"This is at a time when all other costs have increased," she said.

Addressing the issue of class sizes, Superintendent Blackwood commented, "According to projections based on current enrollment, class sizes for the 2008- 2009 school year will be at or below maximum class size limits as determined by the legislature. Projections look as follows: Kindergarten, 17.1 students with full time paraprofessional in each room; Grade 1, 20 students ; Grade 2, 19.1 students ; Grade 3, 20.7 students ; Grade 4, 23.4 students ; Grade 5, 22.2 students; Grade 6, 23 students; Grade 7, 27 students; Grade 8, 27.3 students; and Grades 9-12, 20.4 students."

Ms. Blackwood also addressed rumors circulating that while teaching positions were being cut, raises were budgeted for central office personnel.

"There will be no raises for anyone other than those mandated by the legislators," she said.

Superintendent Blackwood said it is still possible that some of the nine staff members being eliminated could be employed in other positions as vacancies could still occur due to teachers retiring or not returning the next school term.