Local & State Headlines

DCSS OKs budget for 2008-09

• A final budget for the Dougherty County School System passes its fiscal year 2009 budget Monday during a called meeting.

Joshua Brown

ALBANY — The Dougherty County Board of Education passed its budget Monday for 2008-09 during a special called meeting Monday, with a spending plan set at $127,494,751 for the year.

“This is a real challenge for us because as a school system, over a six-year period we’ve lost $16 million” because of austerity reductions, Superintendent Sally Whatley said. She pointed out several other reductions and “unfunded or partially funded” state-mandates that balloon school system costs.

The state has reduced funding since 2003 when the state experienced economic difficulty, a budget summary states. Some of the unfunded or partially-funded mandates from the state Whatley mentioned include a 2.5 percent wages increase for teachers and other employees of the school system.

“I think we have a budget that clearly (shows) we’re doing what is best for children and the quality of instruction for children in Dougherty County,” she said. “We’ve worked very diligently to be good stewards and provide quality education.”

The budget was approved with all but two of the board’s members present, Richard Anson and David Maschke. All members present at the Monday meeting voted in favor of adopting the budget.

The fiscal year 2009 budget includes $86.5 million for instructional costs and $13.1 million for maintenance and operation services costs, the two largest portions of the budget.

The state provides about $87 million of the budget with about $39.5 million provided through local revenues.

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