Lovinggood PTSA
Cicily Primous & Jennifer Squire, Co-Presidents

The currently approved 2009-2010 school calendar begins school on August 10. The calendar options will be made available to the public on the District Web site after they are presented to the Board on March 11.

The school district receives general operating revenue from two main sources: 1. Local property taxes; and 2. State of Georgia tax collections. Both sources are expected to be substantially lower because of economic conditions. In preliminary calculations, the school district is projecting a $76 million deficit for FY2010. This figure could increase or decrease depending on action taken by the state Legislature, and how Cobb County’s commercial and residential property tax collections come in. So far, the news has not been encouraging. Nevertheless, it is important for school staff and parents to remember that no action has been taken on the FY2010 budget at this time. That means that no positions have been cut and no programs have been eliminated at this time. School district staff will be informed as the process moves forward over the next few months and options are considered.

One area where it may be possible for the District to save tens of millions of dollars is increasing class sizes. The state has offered districts across Georgia some flexibility in this area. Cobb is already well below state maximums for classroom size, so an increase may be one way to cut into the budget shortfall. There is no question that difficult choices will have to be made in order to address the $76 million deficit. However, the District’s top priority will be to find cuts that have the least impact on classroom instruction. The school board is expected to host a public discussion of the FY2010 budget on May 7, 2009. The Board is scheduled to approve a tentative budget on May 13, 2009, and give final approval to the FY2010 budget at its regular meeting on June 10, 2009.

Adding to the financial uncertainty is news that the current FY2009 budget may face additional cuts. Action by the Governor and/or state Legislature could result in the loss of millions of dollars for the current operating budget. In October 2008, the Board of Education approved a series of cost-cutting measures recommended by the Superintendent in response to more than $8 million being cut from the current budget. Those cuts were focused at the top and included a hiring freeze, a ban on travel, and a five-percent reduction in the budgets of all central office departments, among other things.

Now, the District has received word that additional state cuts to the current budget are likely, perhaps as much as $15 million. Superintendent Sanderson has instructed schools to restrict all future purchases except those essential to student health and safety, and some essential to instruction. Schools have been proactive in finding ways to cut out waste and save resources without affecting student instruction – in many cases by reducing copying and printing. Contrary to some reports, all schools have ample resources – including paper – needed to sustain daily operations.

More information about the District’s budget and the approval process is available here.