Published: June 29, 2009 02:08 pm      

Stimulus funds used to balance school budget

The Cumberland County School System has a balanced budget after federal stimulus funds were used to cover expenses in the special education department, textbook expenses were trimmed and various areas of the budget were "nickel and dimed." The $44.5 million budget calls for using $1.25 million of the estimated $2.5 million fund balance.

"The county told us we need to stay within that 52 cent tax frame," Director of Schools Aarona VanWinkle told the Cumberland County Board of Education Thursday. "I was disappointed that there wasn't any more [local] money available. We need so much more in this county than just a basic education plan. I would truly love to offer all the programs that are important."

The school system is slated to receive $1.8 million in stimulus funds that can be used for special education purposes. That will allow the school system to use some of those general purpose funds in other areas.

"We're not cutting anything in special education," VanWinkle said. "What we're suggesting is moving it from our general purpose budget to the federal budget. It's a one time allotment and we can do that this one year. But it will help us tremendously."

Keena Inman, special education director, said, "We're still going to have enough stimulus money to do the things I wanted us to be able to do — increase our support for inclusion and also technology."

A total of $400,000 was moved from the special education general purpose budget. Those funds would go toward purchasing textbooks, though not for as many subjects as school administrators had previously hoped.

Textbooks had been budgeted at $610,700 to purchase social studies and science textbooks for grades three through 12. That was dropped to $468,280 and will not include new textbooks for some high school classes, such as physical science.

Bruce Simmons, director of curriculum and instruction, said, "I felt we could find good books that would last a couple of years if we couldn't buy new ones. Most of those subjects have not changed that much."

Board members questioned if that would be adequate, especially since textbooks were cut from last year's budget, as well.

Simmons said he believed it would suffice for the coming year.

"We needed four million dollars, but we've got to do what we've got to do," VanWinkle said. "I feel we can still have a quality program with the $468,280 for textbooks. Maybe next year we can pick up some more of the needed books."

Throughout the budget, funding was cut for staff development, but VanWinkle said stimulus funds could be used to pick that up. Also cut was a requested vocational teaching position and a teaching position budgeted in case teachers take sick leave or additional teachers are needed due to class sizes with cuts to equipment and services throughout the budget.

"We nickel and dimed it all the way through," VanWinkle said. "We had already pulled quite a bit out."

The budget does include eight additional custodial positions. This was a top priority for principals following 11 positions cut last year.

"It truly put them in a hardship last year," VanWinkle said.

VanWinkle reiterated the benefit of stimulus funds to the school system, which totaled about $3 million in special education and federal Title funding.

"If we hadn't received the stimulus money, we would have had to cut millions more from this budget," VanWinkle said.

Victor Randolph, 6th District representative, moved to approve the budget, seconded by Richard Janeway, 2nd District representative. The motion was unanimously approved with Mary Smith, 7th District representative, absent.