Taxpayer questions Gainesville Schools staff salary hikes

GAINESVILLE - One Gainesville school tax payer said he was not getting the answers he wanted concerning school system spending during Monday night's Gainesville School Board public hearing on the board's proposed tax increase.

Dr. Bill Morrison said he feels left out, especially when trying to find out why senior system staff pay increases were not rescinded when considering budget cuts to deal with the deficit.

"I question the senior staff receiving that adjustment," Morrison said. "They're taking care of themselves to the exclusion of everybody else and putting the bill to the tax payers, and I don't like that."

Board Chairman David Syfan told Morrison it's a personnel issue and he could not openly comment, but added later that the board could agree to consider future staff pay increases during the budget process.

Syfan said the end of year deficit for FY 2008 would be $5.6 million, with a millage rate at 7.42 maintenance and operation and .39 mills for deficit reduction for a tax increase of just over 12 percent.

DEFICIT REDUCTION NEEDS STATE MONEY

Syfan said he is hoping for some "wiggle room" from the state when it comes to the BOE's deficit elimination plan; the state is having its own cash flow problems right now and more cuts are likely.

"It's going to have a negative impact on our budget deficit plan," Syfan said.

Syfan added the board needs state money to reduce the deficit, although the board could amend the plan if there are more state cuts.

GAINESVILLE AYP

Assistant Gainesville School Superintendent Dave Shumake told board members he expects the system will achieve Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) under federal No Child Left Behind mandates, but some children at the middle school need a bit more help.

Shumake said scores for 27 out of 1,300 middle school students did not measure up; those children will get supplemental education service at the students' and parents' request.

"Middle School will not be making Adequate Yearly Progress this year," Shumake said. "Everything that we see on our report at this time indicates we will make AYP as a district."