JACKSON Tenn (March 11, 2015) — The joint county commission – school board Education Vision committee meet Tuesday night. it was the first meeting of the year.
The commissioners had a number of questions for the school board members.
The group first get a budget report from school board budget chairman, Truman Murray, said, the school Central Office staff has done a great job economizing on expenses through out the school year.
We started two years ago with a 6.1 million dollar fund balance and were operating at a fund deficit. The concern was that we would fall below the 3 million dollar required fund balance.
Murray said, this current year they system is running a little below last year’s expenses. Murray added, “at the same time we can point out we have been adding to our offerings to students”. The Northeast Middle School Academic Academy where students are more engaged in learning, and Murray said, that experience is in turn engaging more parents. He said they have also expanded the use of technology to give struggling students the necessary push they need in reading skills.
Jim Campbell told the group, when the board switched over to the new group insurance a 300 thousand dollars savings was projected. Campbell said the board looked at that and decided to spread those savings back to the employees rather than pass along higher premiums.
Campbell asked the commissioners if the school board could count on the same capital budget dollars they received the previous year. Ann Harrell said the commissioners could say if they would or not. Harrell said the county will have a very tough budget proccess and is going to have to find dollars for several priorities including a juvenile center, a jail expansion. Sheriff Mehr is seeking 500,000 dollars in this fiscal year for salaries.
Gerry Neese said he and other commissioners had heard concerns expressed about high Central Office salaries. Neese asked if those concerns were being monitored. Verna Ruffin asked for an example and Neese asked about the talk of hiring a communications firm. Ruffin told the group the system was in store for very significant changes and it is critical that those changes be communicated every step of the way. Ruffin said there needs to be someone in charge of keeping the Public Relation on point. She said the current PR person, Ginger Carver, already has other responsibilties and Ruffin said she needs someone with other skills,
The school board will meet Thursday night at 6:00 pm in the Central Office at 310 North Parkway.
