By Diane Glidewell
dglidewell@jacksonprogress-argus.com

At a called meeting on Tuesday, January 26 the Butts County Board of Education voted 4-1 to adopt a resolution to authorize institution of furlough days and reduction of pay for selected school system employees. Board members Ernest Battle, Johnny Morris, Roland Lee, and Clifford Marshall voted in favor of the motion, and Board member Linda Godin voted against the resolution. The BOE voted unanimously to adopt the revised School Calendar to include the furlough days.

A letter to Butts County School System employees dated January 27 explained that in the Governor’s fiscal year 2010 Supplemental Budget and in the proposed FY 2011 budget, state funding for education is being cut an additional 3.5 percent this year and five percent next year.

“This results in employees taking an additional four furlough days before June 30, 2010,” said the letter from Superintendent Lynda White.

Butts County School System employees had already taken three furlough days between August and December 31, 2009.

The adjustment to the 2010-2011 school calendar was made so as to least affect instructional days for students. Pay for employees will be deducted equal to one day per month during February, March, April, and May. Employees will not be allowed to take sick, personal or vacation leave on furlough days, and they will not be expected to work on designated furlough days.

Teachers will be assigned the following furlough days: January 8 (School was closed for inclement weather.); March 12 (Scheduled as an early release day for students and half furlough day); April 2 ( Scheduled as an early release day for students and half furlough day); June 3; and future inclement weather day. If there is no additional inclement weather day, another furlough day will be designated prior to June 30.

Previously, the afternoons of March 12 and April 2 were scheduled as parent conference days. Parents are now asked to contact teachers to schedule conferences regarding students. Furlough days vary just slightly for other school system employees according to the number of days they normally work during the year.

“We’ll keep a positive attitude and continue to focus on providing a quality eduction for our students,” said White.

During the called meeting, the Board made the decision not to attend the Georgia School Board Association Summer Conference due to budget constraints. The Board discussed the proposal by the Butts County Board of Commissioners to return to a single billing process for tax collection. Since the tax billing process has a direct impact on the financial operation of the school system, the Board voted unanimously to support continuing the current process of split billing.