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Alcorn School District
proposes budget
Published Wednesday, July 15
By Brant Sappington
Staff Writer
A public hearing on the 2009-2010 budget for the Alcorn School District drew only a small crowd and few comments from the public Tuesday. The district has proposed a budget for the upcoming fiscal year which includes a 1.52 mill tax increase. The district expects to generate $6,458,824 through ad valorem taxes in the new budget year, compared to $4,937,962 for 2008-2009.
District Chief Financial Officer Angi Wilhite has previously explained the increase in tax revenue will primarily come from additional taxes brought in by new property that has been added to the county's tax roll during the past year.
Wilhite told board members the most significant changes in the proposed budget include an increase in pay for substitute teachers, increases in the costs of benefits for employees and an increase in the cost of electricity.
She noted the budget continues the district's efforts to move forward after several difficult financial years and said the district's primary operating fund, which had a balance of $319,000 at the end of the 2007-2008 fiscal year now has a balance of $2.8 million following a series of districtwide cost saving measures implemented over the past year.
Board member Gary Wren asked Wilhite how they propose to handle the renewal of the district's $3.5 million loan which has been used to supplement revenues in the wake of the district's previous deficit.
Wilhite said the loan is due in October at which time they expect to pay it off and then take out another loan which they hope will be $1 million to $1.5 million smaller, depending on how revenues and expenditures are running at that time.
Lisa Montgomery, the lone person to speak during the hearing's public comment period, questioned the board regarding her concerns about people with out of state tags dropping students off at Alcorn Central schools.
Montgomery told board members she's seen numerous individuals with Tennessee license plates taking students to the school and said she's concerned about the possible loss of tax dollars if people from out of state have children attending local schools.
Board members made no comment following her remarks, but state law requires all students attending school in a given district to prove their residency in that district except in cases where a transfer from another district has been approved by the district's board of education. The board will meet again on Thursday, July 23 at 5 p.m. at the Alcorn Education Center for its regular monthly meeting. Approval of the 2009-2010 budget is expected to be on the agenda at that meeting.
