Schools

Board of Education FY13 Budget: No Teacher Cuts

The proposed budget presented Wednesday will go through public hearings and workshops before being approved in May.

Following changes last year to transportation and school bell schedules, the Carroll County Board of Education has proposed an FY13 budget that does not cut teacher positions for the first time in four years.

The budget was presented by Superintendent Stephen Guthrie at Wednesday’s Board of Education meeting.

By reducing the use of 40 buses, the Carroll County Public School System saved $1.2 million going into preparation for the FY13 budget proposal.

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Other cost-saving measures included moving to a paperless payroll system, saving $42,599, and reorganizing the public school system central office, reducing 3.5 additional positions, saving $290,000.

The total proposed budget for the FY13 is $327,710,530, a $3.3 million drop, or a 1 percent reduction from FY12.

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The budget takes into account a reduction in student enrollment.

Enrollment peaked at almost 29,000 students in 2005 countywide and is expected to drop substantially, to lower than 26,000 in 2018.

“State foundation funding is determined upon the number of students. Fewer students means less revenue,” said Chris Hartlove, chief financial officer at Carroll County Public Schools.

“We are now below our enrollment from 2000. Our fiscal problems started when enrollment went down. It definitely hasn’t helped the situation.”

But teacher reductions are not the answer, according to Superintendent Guthrie who said that the focus of budget reductions has always been to preserve teacher positions.

“We are projected to lose another 300 students this year. Going to our teachers would be the last resort. When it comes to the fiscal unknowns, we have to wait and see what they are,” said Guthrie.

FY13 Expenditures by Category According to Superintendent Guthrie’s Proposed Budget

  • School Based Instructional Services: 74.2 percent

Expenses include instructional salaries and wages, special education, office of the principal, textbooks and instructional supplies and materials and other instructional costs. 

  • Student Transportation Services: 6.2 percent

All regular and special education transportation programs including bus contractors, drivers and assistants, non-public placements, athletics and band, outdoor school, etc.

  • Student Health and Personnel Services: 1.8 percent

All nurses, pupil personnel workers, social workers, etc.

  • Plant Operations: 6.8 percent

All custodial, grounds, warehousing and distribution staffing; cleaning supplies and materials; property and fire insurances; in-kind use of facilities, etc. 

  • Utilities: 3.1 percent

Electricity, natural gas, water and sewage and phones.

  • Plant Maintenance: 2.7 percent

All costs associated with keeping our school buildings, grounds, and fixed equipment in working condition. Includes maintenance staff, supplies and materials and contracted services. 

  • Central Administrative Services: 5.2 percent

Board of Education, office of the superintendent, centralized instructional administration and supervision, budget, finance and accounting, facilities, human resources, payroll, purchasing, school construction, technology services, etc. 

The approval of the budget is a three-part process for the Carroll County Board of Education including the following meetings: 

  • February 7 - Public hearing with citizen participation. Manchester Valley High School. 7 p.m. Proposed FY 2013 Budget during the Board of Education Meeting. Charles I. Ecker Boardroom, Board of Education Offices 1 p.m.
  • February 22 - Adoption of the Board of Education's Proposed FY 2013 Budget during the Board of Education Meeting. Charles I. Ecker Boardroom, Board of Education Offices 1 p.m.
  • May 2 - Board Work Session (without citizen participation). Charles I. Ecker Boardroom, Board of Education Offices 2 p.m.

The proposed budget can be viewed on the Carroll County Public School System website here


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