Kafi Zahra (left to right), Meredith Kolk, Bettye Jenkins and Charlene Johnston attend a PTA rally Thursday as Guilford County Commissioners deliberate their annual budget. (H. Scott Hoffmann/©News & Record)
Posted on 06/14/2002 7:35:00 AM PDT by Darth Sidious
GREENSBORO -- More than 200 Guilford County parents, students and concerned citizens rallied Thursday evening in support of increased school funding.
Kafi Zahra (left to right), Meredith Kolk, Bettye Jenkins and Charlene Johnston attend a PTA rally Thursday as Guilford County Commissioners deliberate their annual budget. (H. Scott Hoffmann/©News & Record)
|
Speakers told the cheering crowd that the county commissioners should give Guilford County Schools its requested $7 million budget increase, even if it means a tax hike.
"We're not here to blame anyone," said Kim Taylor, president of the Guilford County Council of PTAs, which organized the rally. "We're here to offer a solution."
That solution, Taylor said, is to raise property taxes an additional 2.3 cents per $100 of assessed value. That would raise enough money to fully fund the district's requested increase.
The rally, organized by the PTAs council, took place at the Phill G. McDonald Plaza just before the county commissioners met in their adjacent chambers for a public hearing on Guilford County's 2002-03 budget.
County Manager Roger Cotten's proposed 2002-03 budget calls for no increase in the county's share of school funding. The district received $115 million from the county last year.
Cotten blames the state government for the financial crunch, noting that the state has cut funds to the county by $20.5 million.
But the school's fixed expenses, such as energy bills and state-mandated benefits increases, are rising. Guilford County Schools Superintendent Terry Grier has said because salaries and benefits make up 80 percent of the district's budget, balancing that budget will require job cuts.
Thursday morning, he gave the school board a prioritized list of possible cuts. Potential cuts include school librarians and assistants, the Communities in Schools program, assistant principals, elementary and middle school classroom teachers and middle school athletics. If enacted in full, the cuts would eliminate 364 positions and save the district $17.5 million.
Some job cuts may be unavoidable even if the commissioners were to find the extra $7 million. Gov. Mike Easley's proposed budget would cut state spending on Guilford County Schools by $6.7 million, and legislators have looked at cutting even deeper, although a final budget has not yet been adopted.
 Hannah Braye, an 8-year-old student at Jones Magnet School in Greensboro, attends the rally. (H. Scott Hoffmann/©News & Record)
|
Taylor said cuts would be "devastating" to children. She said the district has made progress in recent years, citing rising state test scores, and said that cuts would threaten further improvements.
Cotten already proposes raising property taxes by 1.6 cents, to 69 cents per $100 assessed value, and sales taxes to 7 percent, a half-percent increase.
Meeting the school's funding request would require an additional 2.3-cent property tax increase. For a homeowner with a $100,000 home, that translates to an additional $23.
Guilford Middle parent Sally Muller said that's a small price to pay for quality schools.
"People don't realize what a little bit of a tax increase will do," she said.
Contact Bruce Buchanan at 373-7078 or bbuchanan@news-record.com
I don't live there (yet) but I'm wondering if a counter-protest in favor of tax cuts might be in order. If anything just to see what kind of coverage it would get.
Senate Bill Would Give State Lottery Money From Other States
In other bills filed Wednesday...
---a "TAX ME MORE FUND" for people who want to voluntarily pay more taxes would be created in a bill filed by Sen. Jim Forrester, R-Gaston.
The money would be mailed to the state treasurer and designated for any specified state program.
I have noticed more negative comments in the Rhino about the School Superintendent lately, hopefully it is a sign that a group of citizens has finally reached their limit regarding the ineptitude of the school system, especially his refusal to return any phone calls. I have sent him several e-mails, specifically asking him to reply and have not once recieved a response.
She should consider home schooling.
The gutters will run red with the blood of Greensboro's children if taxes aren't raised.
former Irving Park/Mendenhall/Aycock/Page student
That comes out to an average of $48,000 per position. Keep in mind that the newest teachers, etc., would be the ones to go. That's a pretty hefty average.
How devastated are the kids by today's system?
Let's see....maybe I missed something. The state is going to cut 6.7 million....and the (inept) school board is asking for a raise of 7 million. Sounds to me like things will stay pretty much the same. 300K hardly seems like a devastating blow to a system with a budget of this size. How about chopping a few administrators?
Yes, it is. They also want to give every child access to the internet and their own email address at school, which I totally disagree on without some sort of filter of porn block.
Did you see where the state accidently paid a few hundred wrong teachers other teachers bonuses? Needless to say the teachers who were meant to receive the bonus won't be receiving it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
