Due to reduction in state funding – During their regular monthly meeting Tuesday, the Anderson School District One Board of Trustees approved a revised budget reflecting reductions of $774,731. The 2012-13 budget cuts were necessary because of “Hold Harmless” funding taking out of the State budget by legislators recently.
Superintendent Dr. Wayne Fowler said the reduction in state funding had a greater impact on school districts “that are bedroom communities” such as School District One.
“We were hit the hardest of any Anderson County School District,” Fowler said.
The board approved seven recommendations made by the Superintendent including:
Not replacing a maintenance department person; reduction due to the retirement of Dr. John Pruitt; not replacing an assistant principal at Wren High School; not replacing a one-on-one teaching assistant; energy cost adjustment, and cutting technology replacement funding.
The technology funding of $473,790 is the largest reduction from the budget and the district will be able to do it because of recent upgrades in technology in classrooms during the building program the district is just finishing.
Dr. Fowler told the Board that the District Director of Technology Andrea Hancock had told him “we can make it work.”
Fowler said that a number of older computers were being refurbished by the District.
“We will get more life out of these computers,” he said.
A maintenance account reduction of $99,649 will leave $300,000 in the account, according to Dr. Fowler. “This would not have been enough if the district had not just upgraded with the building program,” he said.
Other reductions include $52,000 for the maintenance position, approximately $92,000 for retirement of Director of Secondary Education (Pruitt) and the assistant principal at Wren; $30,000 for teacher assistant; and energy adjustment of $20,000.
“We have worked diligently to come up with this list of items and we would recommend them as expenditure reductions,” Dr. Fowler said.
The board unanimously approved the recommended reductions of $774,731, resulting in a budget $54,976,782. The approved budget will go back to the County School Board for final approval.
