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As a member of the Lowndes Board of Education, I have been asked to clarify the position of the LBOE and present the facts as we know them concerning the current push for consolidation.
After careful consideration, both the Valdosta City BOE and the Lowndes BOE voted to oppose consolidation. Every member of both school boards wants to see improvement in student performance, but we have no evidence that putting the two districts together will improve academic performance or provide better opportunity for any of our students.
The past few years, local school boards suffered from a reduction in state funding, less tax revenue, and less SPLOST revenue. In order to balance our budget, the Lowndes BOE used a combination of retirement incentives, job elimination, reduced pay for teachers and staff, increased class sizes, and consumption of savings to manage our way through the severe reduction in funds. We deliberately did not raise property taxes during these tough economic times.
Currently, both systems are able to manage with their budgets in balance as long as we do not see continued state budget cuts. We all hope the worst of the state budget crisis is over.
Should consolidation pass, the combined countywide millage rate will be 16.317 to create the same $45,722,633 currently generated for both systems. This is based on information from the Tax Commissioner’s office. Outside revenue will be reduced if, as expected, the consolidated system does not qualify for the same amount of outside federal and state funding as both smaller systems do today.
The estimated loss in funding to date is between $3 million and $5 million which will require an additional two to four mills for a total new rate of 18 to 20 mills.
Equalizing the funding between the two former systems will require additional local funds estimated in excess of $16 million or 5.74 mills. Changes in staff and students to achieve proposed diversity across all schools will likely be required by the Department of Justice, which will lead to the added cost of transporting students. The 21 mill limit on local taxes will not provide enough funds to cover the required local cost.
Simply put, there will not be enough local tax money to fund our schools. We will have to make tough decisions to eliminate people and programs just to survive.
Much emotion surrounds the issue of school consolidation. Unlike some other communities, the Valdosta-Lowndes area has developed two strong tradition-rich systems with passionate support. Each system is serving the needs of the public school children in their respective areas.
Both systems are working hard on improvement.
Consolidation of the two systems will not solve our educational needs. Now is not the time to force this financial burden on our community with no guarantee of positive results.
Philip Poole
Lowndes County Board of Education, District 6
Letters to the Editor
October 22, 2011
Lowndes school board on consolidation
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Lowndes school board on consolidation
As a member of the Lowndes Board of Education, I have been asked to clarify the position of the LBOE and present the facts as we know them concerning the current push for consolidation.
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