Commission committed to education

Submitted by County Commissioners

Editor's Note: The following was submitted by Rutherford County Commissioners Steve Johns, Gary Farley, Carol Cook, Dwight Throneberry, Joe Frank Jernigan, Allen McAdd, Rick Sage, Robert Peay, Lindell Vaughn, Jimmy Evans, Steve Sandlin, David Gammon, Jerry Baxter, Paul Johnson and Tina Jones.

The Rutherford County Commission is committed to building schools. The Commission has funded $99 million for school construction over the past four years. In April 1999, the Commission voted to authorize the following building projects: Siegel Middle School, Blackman Elementary, Walter Hill Elementary.

The Board of Education chose to stop school construction by filing a lawsuit essentially halting the construction of needed schools.

There are two budgets dedicated to the Board of Education:

1. School Building Budget -- proposed $238 million.

2. School Operating Budget -- adopted $120 million (1999-2000).

The proposed school building budget is separate from the annual operating budget.

The Rutherford County Commission approved a balanced budget with no tax increase at its last meeting of the fiscal year on June 30 -- a budget totaling $190 million with $120 million dedicated to education.

The County Commission approved an $11.3 million budget increase for the Board of Education with no tax increase. This combination of growth monies and capital expenditure monies equals 61 cents on the tax rate.

This series of findings set the stage:

The Commission dedicates a 9.5 percent increase to school budget even though rate of growth is 4 percent, because education is a top priority. After all, America's future walks through the doors of our schools every day.

The Commission is very concerned that students do not have enough textbooks for learning, yet Board of Education used only a portion of the $2 million funded by Commission (in last year's budget) for textbooks, leaving a $550,000 surplus. Where is the money?

The Commission is very concerned that students do not have enough teachers, yet $298,000 (in last year's budget) was not used as intended for special education teachers. Where is the money?

The Commission approved a technology budget designed to prepare our school children for the 21st century. Board of Education attempted to fund unauthorized architectural fees with technology money.

The Commission recognizes that school children are still participating in fund-raisers, parents are paying class fees and teachers are still paying for basic supplies out of their pockets. However, some of the "activity funds" (monies generated from fund-raisers, vending machines, parent-paid class fees, etc.) are quite phenomenal at various schools.

Activity fund balances as of June 21, 1999:

Riverdale -- $462,144

Walter Hill Elementary -- $191,282

La Vergne High -- $329,437

Smyrna High -- $256,447

Cedar Grove -- $113,561

Oakland -- $270,323

Smyrna Middle -- $113,396

Rock Springs -- $91,959

Eagleville High -- $85,154

Kittrell -- $58,705

Stewartsboro -- $85,838

Central Middle -- $71,007

Barfield -- $56,508

Lascassas -- $105,583

La Vergne Primary -- $40,497

David Youree -- $36,675

Smyrna Elementary -- $37,687

McFadden -- $27,487

Roy Waldron -- $30,875

Rockvale -- $79,957

Holloway -- $31,506

John Colemon -- $24,393

Thurman Francis -- $19,587

Smyrna West -- $10,733

Campus School -- $23,016

Buchanan -- $18,538

Smyrna Primary -- $18,880

Christiana -- $10,423

Total -- $2,701,598

The Commission has provided funding for education. The Board of Education complains that County Commission does not provide enough funding, even though the Board has the following unspent funds, year after year.

1997 -- $2.1 million surplus

1998 -- $3.8 million surplus

1999 -- $3 million surplus (estimated as of June 30, 1999)

Although the budget increase is quite substantial, no amount of money can compensate for poor fiscal management. Local government is a trust and the officers of local government are trustees. With the challenges growth has brought to our county, it is especially important that our commitment as trustees is to ensure that tax dollars are used efficiently.

This may be viewed on the DNJ's Web-Site: Commission committed to education Submitted by County Commissioners.