By Bill Grubb

ROGERSVILLE — Rather than seek additional tax money for the 2008-2009 fiscal year the Hawkins County Board of Education will present county commissioners with a balanced budget later this month.

Hawkins County Director of Schools Charlotte Britton and board members reviewed revenues and expenditures during a Monday afternoon work session.

The proposed budget includes approximately $59 million in expenditures for the general, federal projects, cafeteria and transportation funds.

 “The good news is I am presenting balanced general purpose fund budget.  There are no new dollars needed to balance the budget,” Britton said.  “The bad news is gas and fuel prices keep rising and we estimate we will need $232,967 to balance the transportation budget.”

 The director noted the $3.9 million transportation budget receives a 17-cent share of the county property tax rate. To eliminate the deficit would require the equivalent of a three-cent increase.

The budget for the 2007-2008 fiscal year originally contained $575,000 for fuel, with the line item amended to $795,000 to cover increased costs.  The proposed budget contains $950,000 for fuel.

Britton said she was working with transportation department to find ways to conserve fuel and she warned the school system might be forced to “make some hard decisions” and she warned the board members their phones “might be ringing off the walls.”

“Rather than the luxury of stopping at practically every house we may need to look at just making one stop on a street,” Britton said, adding bus routes are also being reviewed to try to see if there are more efficient options.

The director said the proposed budget meets the state mandated maintenance of effort requirement, which prohibits the county commission from reducing the level of funding for the school system and enables the system to meet classroom standards without adding new classroom teaching positions.

She said the only raises contained in the budget are those mandated by salary scales adopted previously by the board but the system’s 89 bus drivers are not included on any scale and will receive no raises.

“Whether you have a driver who is just starting or one who has been loyal and faithful to the school system for years, they receive the same pay,”  Britton explained.  “I had looked at some type of raise but with that many employees you are talking about a lot of money.”

    Rather than seek additional funding, board members suggested Britton use transportation fund reserves to balance the budget.

“I just don’t think this is the year to be asking for any additional money,” Board Chairman Robert Stidham said.

According to Britton, the transportation system has a reserve fund balance of $362,262, which would leave a balance of $129,295 at the end of the fiscal year.

“If the price of gas keeps going up we may be asking them (county commissioners) for money during the year. 

The price of gas has been going up and no new money has been put in the budget to cover that.  We can’t keep that up,” Stidham said.

Board member Perry Dykes noted the general fund budget will also need additional funding in the 2009-2010 budget year to cover costs associated with the construction of a new school in Church Hill and Clinch and expansion and renovation projects at Cherokee and Volunteer High Schools and Bulls Gap.   

 “One thing is for certain, we are definitely going to have to have more money next year.  That is a fact,” Dykes said.

The board will meet prior to the regular board meeting, set for July 15, to review possible capital outlay projects that will be paid for out of the general fund’s $7.4 million fund balance.  Because the proposed budget does not include funds to cover any increase in health insurance premiums after January 2009 the board also asked Britton to determine if reserve funds can be used for that purpose.