Bibb school board adopts budget with $14.9M gap, directs staff to study school closures

The Bibb County Board of Education has approved a tentative budget with a $14.9 million deficit, cutting $9.46 million from the original spending plan presented to the board in May.

The board decided to cut salary step increases, eliminate vacancies, outsource paraprofessional hires and make department-level spending cuts. The budget was also updated to include a $1.4 million increase in transportation funding.

A five-day furlough for numerous positions, which would have saved $1.4 million, was also on the table but did not make it past a vote.

The original figure of $13.2 million in maximum total cuts the district was willing to make, as presented on May 21, was amended to $10.86 million.

The district presented the school board with three options for its budget at a Tuesday meeting, ranging from a $16.6 million deficit to a $13.5 million deficit.

After nearly three hours of discussion, the board OK’d a budget that fell in the middle of that range. The vote was 6-2, with board members Henry Ficklin and Sundra Woodford as the dissenters.

Ficklin made a slew of motions, including ones to freeze the approval of travel and service agreements and rework the district’s organizational structure. 

He also wanted the board to not utilize a waiver that would increase the number of students per classroom in grades four through 12, allowing the district to eventually phase out 35 teaching positions.

Superintendent Dan Sims noted his “grave concern” with Ficklin’s motion to scrutinize the district’s spending and operations, saying those matters fall under his purview as the district’s hired chief executive.

As per its policies, the board only reviews spending requests above $150,000.

“My aim is to stand guard as a sentinel over spending in this county,” Ficklin responded. 

None of his motions passed a vote.

The board deadlocked on adopting the budget with the most drastic cuts, with one vote going 4-4.

After coming out of a brief recess following the tie, Ficklin said he could not vote for a budget that included the class size waiver.

District administrators said the waiver would have no impact on academic achievement.

“I beg to disagree,” Ficklin told district staff. “One student stretches that teacher one more time.”

Board member Barney Hester originally voted against the budget proposal with the fewest cuts. He later supported the budget with the $14.9 million deficit but pushed one caveat: district officials must look at closing at least two elementary schools.

Hester said the district’s finances aren’t where they need to be and the board needs to look ahead and get elementary schools to the attendance thresholds they need to be at to receive more state funds.

Daryl Morton, who serves as board president, directed the district to look at closing schools. He said he wants to push for fiscal responsibility amid the current economic conditions.

“I have agonized over this budget,” Morton said. “It’s tough for everybody, but there’s gonna be sacrifice all the way around.”

The board already looked at consolidating schools last year. At that time, Porter, Hartley and L.H. Williams elementary schools were among the schools the district could close.

Board members will determine whether they’ll raise property taxes in August. They must officially adopt the budget by the end of June. State law mandates that the board must hold two public hearings before adopting a final budget, and the first is at 5 p.m. on June 17. The second is at 4 p.m. on June 25.

Both hearings will be held at the district’s Professional Learning Center at 2007 Riverside Drive.