Schools Budget Shows $7 Million Shortfall

The School Board reviewed the proposed 2012-13 budget last night at it's study session.  The full presentation is available here.

Here are the basics: 

1) The budget proposal shows a $7 million shortfall for next year.

2) The proposal includes state mandated raises for teachers and a proposed 3% raise for classified employees -- who have gone 4 years now without a raise.

3) Another $1.7 million is needed for a required purchase of elementary school reading books.

4) The budget is a conservative document focused on achieving efficiencies (merging adult education and the E.B. Wilson night school, for example).

5) Sumner County's per pupil spending is more than $900 less than the state average. 

6) Of 5 nearby middle Tennessee counties (Montgomery, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson, and Robertson), Sumner County has the LOWEST per pupil spending. The average for those 5 counties is $700 MORE than what Sumner spends per student. 

7) A small property tax increase (15 cents) would generate $5 million and come close to fully-funding the budget proposal.  The cost to the average property owner in Sumner County would be around $60 a year.

8) The County Commission will soon be making the decision about whether or not to fully fund the proposed budget.