DECATUR COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION ANNUAL BUDGET REPORT May 2011 The mission of the Decatur County School System is to strive for excellence in meeting the needs of each learner and inspiring lifelong learning by maximizing the use of all available resources. These materials were prepared to provide accurate information to the Decatur County Board of Education and to our community

“Proposed K-12 education funding in House Bill 78 will result in state spending per pupil reaching its lowest level in over a decade. House Bill 78 proposed $6.96 billion in state spending for K12 education, which is $26.1 million less than the governor’s proposed budget. When adjusted for inflation, state spending per pupil in FY2012 will be 16.3 percent lower than per pupil spending in FY2001” excerpt from Education Budget Facts, published by the Georgia Policy and Budget Institute, March 2011

WHAT ARE AUSTERITY CUTS? Austerity cuts are reductions the State Legislature has made to the constitutionally enacted QBE Formula earnings for the public education Georgia K-12 students. History of State Austerity Cuts to Education in Decatur County FiscalAusterityFederalNet AusterityEquivalent YearCutStimulusCutsmils of Tax FY FY03 538, FY04 1,118, FY05 1,309, FY06 1,309, FY07 620, FY08 503, Fy09 1,834, ,914 1,232, FY10 4,915,328 2,315,833 2,599, FY11 3,908, ,235 3,453, FY12 4,122, Total 20,181,782 3,372,982 16,808, Value of 1 mil of property taxes CY ,540 Austerity Cuts as equivalent mils of taxes 20.05

Decatur’s Inflationary and Austerity Impact "What if" FY02FY11 "What if" Funding Increase FTE 5,5795,438 Operations Funding $2,428,401$2,355,918$2,906,709$550,791 Per FTE $435$433$535 Transp. Funding $1,120,309$821,471$1,340,970$519,499 Per FTE $201$151$247 Austerity $0-$3,908,561$0$3,908,561 Federal Stimulus $0$455,235$0-$455,235 Increased FY11 funding if above adjustments were made $4,523,616 Value of 1 mill in Calendar Year 2010 $838,540 Mills effectively transferred from state to local taxpayers 5.39mills

FY12 Projected Funding vs. State Formula FY12 FormulaProjected QBE$29,343,046 LFS-$4,604,443-$3,990,671 Transportation$990,000$805,041 Sparsity$0 Equalization$2,429,279$1,651,910 Nursing$110,000$90,323 Austerity$0-$4,122,999 Federal$0 Net State$28,267,883$23,776,650 Amount Cut %

FY FY FY FY 2012 (Additional Proposed) 19.0 __________ Total Positions Cut76.5 Total Percentage Cut 9% Positions Eliminated or Absorbed

What We Faced This Year Beg. Fund Balance July 1, ,124,673 Amount FY2011 Budget Deficit (653,218) One time Federal Education Jobs Grant 1,085,119 Sale of Land 181,934 Mid-Year Position savings from retirements 362,442 Small Millage rate adjustment to ,812 QBE earning over original budget 85,000 Savings in equipment, supplies, workers comp insurance, etc 287,517 Estimated ending Fund Balance 6/30/11 4,689,279

What Has Changed From Last Year? Estimated ending Fund Balance 6/30/11 4,689,279 Amount FY2011 Budget Deficit (653,218) Tax Digest has Decreased 1.5% (165,647) State QBE Revenues have decreased (826,268) Federal Stimulus funds ended (508,790) Decrease in other local revenues - interest, intangible tax (60,000) ARRA Funding ended - 23 Jobs now paid locally (1,438,475) Pre-k cuts from State (205,886) State mandated Salary Step increases (584,383) 6 furlough days 913,938 Non-certified health insurance increases (240,275) Personnel adjustments 526,993 New Blind Teacher (71,139) Fuel costs increase (50,000) Utility rate increases (192,793) Projected Ending Fund Balance 6/30/12 1,133,336

General Fund Budget FY11 FY12 Change Est Beg. Balance 3,124,673 4,689,279 1,564,606 Property Taxes 10,676,828 10,726,993 50,165 State Revenues 24,500,824 23,679,903 (820,921) Other Local Sources 180, ,000 (60,000) Federal 581,402 59,602 (521,800) Total Revenues 35,939,054 34,586,498 (1,352,556) Salary & Benefits 31,981,107 32,157, ,351 Oper non-ee costs 4,611,165 4,289,374 (321,791) Total Expenditures 36,592,272 36,446,832 (145,440) Exp over revenues (653,218) (1,860,334) (1,207,116) Est End Balance 2,471,455 2,828, ,490

Budget Reductions 19 Positions that will be moved to other positions 1,250,609 Reduction in educational resources 250,000 Reductions to Professional Learning 45,000 Reductions to technology replacements 150,000 Sub-total Savings 1,695,609 Potential Solutions Each Additional Furlough day (All employees) 152,323 Each additional mil of tax increase 825,789

“For a nation to continue to prosper, it must invest in human capital and that investment begins in the schools” Alan Greenspan, 2000 "Once we considered education a public expense; we know now that it is a public investment." Lyndon B Johnson

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Reinhold Niebuhr ( ), American Theologian

For more information about the Decatur County Board of Education … D ecatur C ounty B oard Of E ducation 100 South West Street Bainbridge, Georgia Call us: All residents of Decatur County are invited to attend monthly Board of Education Meetings For more information on state education, policy, and budget, call the Georgia Department of Education at or Visit their website at