School Board discusses millage increase, school consolidation
By Samantha Lyles, Staff Writer, slyles@newsandpress.net
The Darlington County Board of Education convened a budget work session on March 27 and discussed ways to bridge a potential deficit of nearly half a million dollars, including raising operational millage and consolidating schools.
Ashley Smith, Darlington County School District’s chief financial officer, said that state-mandated expenditures have increased by $2.2 million while revenues have increased by only $1.8 million, leaving a gap of $480,000.
“So these requirements are also coming from the same people that gave us the cuts, correct?” asked Board chairman Jamie Morphis. Smith confirmed that was the case.
Board members received a budget worksheet with a number of estimated costs and revenues for the 2017/18 fiscal year. Required increases in expenditures total $2,286,268, including a 2-percent increase in retirement for all employees, a possible Duke Energy increase of 14 percent (estimated at $280,000), a step increase for all teachers to 23 years including retirement (estimated at $549,019), and the employer share of health and dental ($280,000).
Revenue increases total only about $1.8 million, including increases in funding for employee contributions of $655,674 and $405,956, estimated increase in property taxes of $500,000, and an additional $244,530 in Tier III funding.
Morphis said he was generally opposed to using the District’s fund balance for anything but non-recurring expenses. He expressed frustration that even if DCSD used the maximum allowable millage – a look-back of three years, yielding a total of 5 mills, or roughly $1.2 million – they would only have about $800,000 to work with, which he felt was insufficient to address needs.
Bob Dameron of Compass Municipal Advisors LLC advised the Board to use the full millage increase allowed under the look-back provision, noting that DCSD has not increased operational millage since 2009.
The Board also discussed athletic and band director supplements of $65,000, increases for high school and middle school security and transportation of $76,716, athletic salary increases of $40,000, and an increase to District arts programs of $20,000.
An increase in salary scale for cafeteria workers would cost an estimated $75,656, bumping cafeteria staff and two maintenance workers to $10 per hour. Board members Thelma Dawson and Warren Jeffords voiced support for this increase. Morphis suggested paying this expense from the District’s fund balance. Dameron noted that the raises could be paid from the food service fund, and benefits paid from the general fund.
Hiring an Early Childhood director would cost about $130,000, including health and fringe benefits, and the Board asked Smith to investigate how much of that could be covered by SC Department of Education Title 1 funding.
Morphis raised the idea of school consolidation, since some schools in the District have classes that are running light (with a ratio of one teacher to about fifteen students). However, Ingram noted that some schools are running heavy, saying that the District has 32 classes with over 30 students. Hartsville High School principal Charlie Burry confirmed that he currently has at least ten classes with more than thirty students.
Board members discussed the possibility of consolidating three Hartsville schools into a planned new elementary school, one of three new schools to be built using proceeds from the $60 million bond referendum approved last November.
Ingram also suggested holding off on a block scheduling conversion for the current budget year, citing that many District principals said they would need for at least one year’s prep time to ready for this conversion. Block scheduling conversion would require hiring either 10 teachers at a cost of $764,500 or 12 teachers at a cost of $917,500.
The Darlington County Board of Education’s next regular meeting is scheduled for April 10 at 6 p.m.