SMITHFIELD – Board of Education Chair Lyn Andrews and Assistant Superintendent David Pearce took the lead roles in presenting data to the County Commissioners Monday evening to explain the reasons for hefty increases in county funding for both operations and capital projects in the year ahead.
For starters, Ms. Andrews said the school board learned last week that the state is cutting Johnston’s funding allotment by 42.5 teaching positions for the 2024-25 school term. “If we keep those teachers, we’ve got to pay for them some other way,” she told commissioners.
Furthermore, Johnston’s system anticipates a $2.9-million cut in state “low wealth” funding – from $17.9 million currently to “maybe” $15 million, Ms. Andrews said.. “When the value of homes goes up in a district, the low-wealth funding is going to drop,” she said, adding that those funds cover the annual cost of 100 employees.
The end of federal grants under ESSER, the Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief program enacted by Congress in response to the COVID pandemic, will result in a reduction in social workers and nurses in Johnston’s schools, Ms. Andrews noted. “Teachers are burned out,” she said, and are in need of help from more, not fewer, of those employees.
Presently, the county’s school system employs one social worker per 2,500 students and one nurse for two schools, Ms. Andrews noted.
Responding to a question from Commissioners’ Chairman Butch Lawter, Ms. Andrews said the school board’s funding request basically includes two new initiatives: a $1,500 annual increase in teacher supplements and restoration of extra pay the state once provided all teachers that earn master’s degrees.
In his proposed budget for 2024-25, County Manager Rick Hester has recommended increasing the appropriation for school operations from $88.5 million to $93.3 million. The school board has requested $111.8 million, noting that $12 million was added to the county’s appropriation this past year from the schools’ General Fund Balance.
Beyond that, the Board of Education has requested an increase in capital funding from $6 million currently to $28.8 million.
Assistant Superintendent Pearce said the main thing behind that request is a desire to be “proactive” with preventative maintenance. “We’re in a reactive mode right now,” he told commissioners. For instance, Johnston’s schools have 69 HVAC “chillers” that are “at the end of their life cycle,” Dr. Pearce noted. “One event could drain this budget very quickly.”
Another concern is replacement of aging school buses. “I’ve been told departments in County Government replace vehicles at 150,000 to 160,000 miles,” said Dr. Pearce, noting that the schools operate 16 vehicles with over 150,000 miles, 10 over 175,000 miles, 31 over 200,000 miles, and four registering more than 300,000 miles. “You don’t want to put money into some of those vehicles,” he said. “It’s a waste of our taxpayer dollars.”
School Board Vice Chair Terry Tippett came forward to sum up the evening’s presentation on a lengthy list of needs to maintain and improve Johnston’s public schools. “If you want it, you’ve got to fund it,” he declared.
– The Smithfield Weekly Sun
Our Ma’ Andrews and our Mr. Terry “Judas” Tippett are willing to spend your homes or property taxes down to the very last red cent. Folks the money they need is setting in the bank unspent because of the help of Sister Andrews in the tax office. That’s right that revaluation four years eariler jacks up your home values and she is capsuring those dollars four years earlier. Has anyone heard anything form our other closet liberal $180-K-Carroll? Folks the liberal mask are off, now step up and support our NEW COMERS that are crossing our southern border and help them to get driving license so we can register them to vote via the school system!!!
Cut from the top. Reducing central office staff and the number of superintendents, department heads and the like will free up the money. Until they are ready to do that, I don’t want to hear them whine.
https://jocoreport.com/johnston-county-commissioners-vote-to-give-themselves-pay-raises/
https://jocoreport.com/top-jcps-officials-receive-salary-increases-contract-extensions/
What about the five Chevy Tahoes they bought a year ago for the county office staff to drive around in! Top down cuts.
Ending publicly funded (aka SOCIALST) education is the obvious solution. Let the people who want mediocre schools pay for them — leave the rest of us alone.
The schools need more money for maintenance, teachers and school staff. However, the district seems to constantly add new positions in the district offices. Move those positions to the school and support the students and teachers. Too much money wasted under this superintendents leadership.
how about cutting down on the number of central office staff…school board has too many chiefs (with high paying salaries) and not enough Indians (teachers) …..and that folks is the whole problem with our school board….OMG some of the positions at the central office are comical…and have been for years…..we have got to get rid of the establishment we currently have….
Ms. Jenna the county has plenty extra of millions of dollars thanks to the Tax Office under the leadership of Sister Jocelyn Andrews by following our progressive liberal counties such as Durham and Wake counties and moving your homes property revalution form every eight years to every four years capsuring those jacked up values four consecutive years earlier. Now our school board chairwoman Ma’ Lyn Andrews is only going after what everyone knows is there to get. Those extra tax dollars that Sister Joceyln Andrews has hauled in by jacking those property values up four years earlier. Our State law requires revaluation only every eight years. GREAT JOB LADIES!!! Now lets fund our schools the progressive way and mold these young impressionable minds for the future!!!