Board Business Briefs: Board Reviews Budget Priorities

The School Board on Thursday recognized and thanked School Board Chair Kyla Cromer at what was her last meeting, as she did not seek re-election, for her 11 years of service.  The audience rose to give two standing ovations in her honor.

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024 began reviewing budget priorities for next school year, including options for maintaining competitive salaries for teachers and support staff.

The meeting followed the new structure, adopted this summer, of a work session at 5:15 p.m. and a regular business meeting at 7 p.m.  The new structure promotes more meaningful discussion, greater transparency, and public awareness around the business of the board.  In addition to the regular business meetings, all work sessions now are livestreamed via YouTube, and the videos are archived on the CCSD website in the Board of Education area online here.

BUDGET DEVELOPMENT
The School Board, during its work session on Thursday, heard a report on budget development as work continues to prepare a proposed budget for next school year.

The school district is moving up its budget adoption timeline to better align this process with preparations for the next school year, such as hiring new teachers and publishing salary scales sooner.

At last month’s work session, the board heard a report from Chief Financial Officer Kenneth Owen reviewing CCSD’s funding sources and revenue outlook.

In May, Cherokee County voters approved an expansion of the senior tax exemption, which goes into effect in January 2025.  This results in a $14 million decrease in revenue for CCSD for next school year. 

At the same time, the state legislature earlier this year approved House Bill 581, a proposal impacting local revenue, which makes up more than half of CCSD’s budget for daily operations.  As a result of this legislation, voters in the November general election were asked whether to pass a Constitutional Amendment that creates a floating statewide property tax exemption capping the amount property taxes can increase annually at the rate of inflation and substantially constricting the local revenue of a school district.  

The state law allows local governments to opt out of the floating exemption property tax cap; if the School Board does not opt out, it would mean a decrease of another $7.8 million for next school year and almost $50 million over the next three years.

During Thursday’s report, Mr. Owen reviewed with the board the challenges of balancing these issues with increasing costs for providing employees required state healthcare and retirement benefits, and the anticipated costs for sustaining current operations at the same level for next school year.

Some of the School Board’s budget priorities, which members shared through their annual priority reports, are to: maintain current levels of school days for students and work days for teachers; honor CCSD’s salary scales to maintain and improve competitive pay; adopt comprehensive instructional resources for English language arts and math; and continue to fund investments, for which local property tax funds make up the majority of revenue, including safety and security, instructional technology devices, in-house custodians, school nurses, and student bus transportation.

The $14 million revenue decrease projected due to the senior tax exemption expansion is unavoidable, Mr. Owen explained, but should be wholly or partially mitigated by rising property values to cover planned expenses including honoring the salary schedule.  Additionally, Superintendent of Schools Mary Elizabeth Davis has directed senior staff to reduce all non-employee operational costs, by 3% for next year to further prepare for this funding shortfall.

While these measures will help mitigate the senior tax exemption expansion, the proposed floating property tax exemption for all property will create too steep a funding decrease to be resolved this way.

Mr. Owen on Thursday again outlined the three options School Board has in response to the proposed floating property tax exemption.  Option 1 provides for the School Board to opt-out of this exemption through three hearings and a resolution in February.  The second and third options require a permanent reduction or elimination of services and supports by $50 million over the next three years and/or replacing the revenue lost by the homestead exemption by increasing the maintenance and operations millage rate.

As part of Thursday’s report, which is online here, Mr. Owen detailed how the floating property tax exemption would specifically impact the School Board’s budget priorities.  If the board does not opt out of this new exemption and instead chooses the second and third options, the board would need to evaluate increasing class size, shortening the number of instructional days in the school calendar and the number of paid days for employees, and reducing student services.

Next steps for the School Board include: reviewing budget development status reports at the Jan. 16 and Feb. 13 board meetings; holding public hearings to opt out of the floating homestead exemption in February; reviewing the Superintendent’s recommended tentative budget and millage rate at the March 20 meeting; holding public millage rate hearings in April; and then voting at the April 17 meeting on the budget and millage rate.

School Board member Kelly Poole noted, while they still need to vote on next steps, she sees opting out as the best option to maintain high quality schools.

“If we don’t opt out, none of it’s very palatable,” she said, referring to making cuts to services like safety and security, custodians, school nurses and more to make up for the projected shortfall.  “All of these items are integral to our schools running and keeping everyone safe and healthy in our buildings … opting out seems to be our only choice in order to be successful, and have our kids be successful and have our schools be successful.”

KEY PRIORTIES PROGRESS REPORT
The school district’s Key Priorities are based on Superintendent Davis’s entry plan work in the spring to listen to the community and analyze financial, operational and student performance reports.  

The four Key Priorities informed by this feedback now are driving CCSD’s work as an organization for the next year, with regular progress reports to the community, followed by the future development of a long-range strategic plan. 

Superintendent Davis during Thursday’s work session shared the second quarterly progress report, which is online here.  The report details the status of specific Action Steps that she set in the spring for each Key Priority.  For each Action Step, underlying activities now are being implemented to ensure measurable success. 

The report shows continued strong progress across all four areas: academics and achievement for all students; effective School Board-Superintendent Governance; district coordination and alignment of goals, systems, and processes; and embracing a pervasive high-quality school environment defined by high standards, effective supports, and consistent practices. 

Highlights include: the completion of an instructional resources audit and additional steps guiding CCSD toward the development of a cohesive K-12 literacy model; and the work underway to evaluate reoccurring expenditures for redundancies to sunset, completing a classroom utilization study including long-range student enrollment estimates, and evaluating the current age and condition of all furniture, fixtures, and equipment to create a long-range replacement plan.

Another milestone reflected in the report is the School Board’s development of its first policy that members drafted together. School Board Policy - School Board Governance (BAB), which received its second reading and vote for final adoption on Thursday, is online here.  It encompasses the board’s recently established core beliefs as well as an outline of its governance model and its definitions for student performance and accountability. 

School Board Chair Kyla Cromer praised district and school leaders for their dedication to elevating the excellence.

“It’s a very impressive body of work for the last eight to nine months,” she said.  “We appreciate all of the hard work of everybody who has participated in making all of these great big changes as we move forward.”

NEW LEADER AND ACCOUNTABILITY REPORTS

The School Board on Thursday, as part of its approval of the monthly human resources employment recommendations, appointed a new chief academic officer.

Dr. Joshua Heath, a 12-year educator who joined CCSD in July as its first executive director for accountability, will advance to the chief post that was vacated by retirement earlier this year.  His wife is a CCSD teacher, and they have three children.

During the work session, Dr. Heath gave a report, which is online here, on CCSD student performance success on Advanced Placement (AP), SAT and ACT exams as well as a report on CCSD’s overall performance on the state’s College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI), which is online here.  

The school district improved its overall CCRPI scores at each school level this past school year and continues to exceed state scores.  CCSD saw increases in each of the five components that make up the CCRPI scores, as compared to the previous school year’s performance, and saw those improvements across all three levels: elementary, middle, and high.

The CCSD Class of 2024 earned an average total score of 1083 on the SAT curriculum-based college entrance and placement exam, outscoring the national public school average by 88 points and the state by 53 points.  The scores rank CCSD in the top 10% of school districts statewide.

The CCSD Class of 2024 earned an outstanding 22.5 average on the ACT, exceeding Georgia’s 21.2 and the Nation’s 19.4 averages on the competitive college entrance and placement examination.  CCSD’s performance continues to rank it in the top 10% school districts statewide.

CCSD students raised their overall Advanced Placement (AP) exam average score to 3.6, up from 3.4, this past spring, while also increasing participation, with 6,955 exams completed, up from 6,091.  Eighty-two percent of CCSD’s exam scores were a 3 or higher – the highest pass rate ever for the school district, up from 78%.  The total value of the college tuition CCSD students will avoid paying due to this success, assuming each exam equals just one college course, is estimated at $6.1 million, up from $4.6 million.  

School Board member Dr. Susan Padgett-Harrison praised students, teachers, and schools for their success on AP exams.  

RECOGNITION OF BOARD CHAIR SERVICE
The School Board on Thursday recognized and thanked School Board Chair Kyla Cromer at what was her last meeting, as she did not seek re-election, for her 11 years of service.  The audience rose to give two standing ovations in her honor.

During her time in office, the School Board has progressed in its leadership excellence to win all honors presented by the Georgia School Boards Association, culminating in the highest award a school board can achieve: the Governance Team of the Year award in 2021.

The school district, during her tenure, also has twice earned international re-accreditation, and in the last renewal in 2022, was named a Cognia District of Distinction, the accreditation agency’s highest honor.

Accreditation reflects the overall excellence of a governance team and school district.  The numerous accomplishments achieved during her tenure include, but are not limited to:
•    Raising the high school graduation rate from 82% to 93.3%;
•    Increasing students’ HOPE scholarship eligibility from 54% to 62%;
•    Expanding Advanced Placement, Career Pathways and STEM learning programs ;
•    Opening i-Grad Virtual Academy, the Cherokee College & Career Academy and Transition Academy;
•    Raising teacher pay across all levels, including increasing first-year teacher pay from $41,000 to $56,000 a year;
•    Gaining taxpayer support for two Education SPLOST renewals with record passage rates of 73% and 75%;  and,
•    Using those funds for critically important infrastructure projects including the new/replacement Cherokee High School, Free Home Elementary School, Dean Rusk Middle School, and Teasley Middle School, as well as for classroom additions at half a dozen schools and other major campus improvements. 

Superintendent Davis presented Ms. Cromer with a plaque of appreciation, and School Board member Kelly Poole shared remarks as part of the tribute.

“Your passion has always been public education and the children,” Ms. Poole said.

Ms. Cromer also shared remarks, which can be viewed in full online here, thanking the community and fellow School Board members for their support.

“It’s been a privilege for me to serve in a county that values our public schools, collaboration and integrity,” said Ms. Cromer, who plans to focus on enjoying retirement.  “I’m proud of all we’ve accomplished together … the challenges we have tackled and the milestones that we have achieved have made my time here immensely rewarding.”

The School Board on Thursday also:

•    School Board member Dr. Susan Padgett-Harrison thanked schools for their holiday service learning projects that benefit students and families in need;
•    Recognized retiring Chief Human Resources Officer Rick Beaulieu, as Thursday was his last School Board meeting, and thanked interim Chief Academic Officer Dr. Jami Frost for stepping out of retirement in August to temporarily serve through the end of this month; 
•    Heard the monthly financial report, which is online here;
•    Heard the monthly capital outlay report, which is online here.  All projects, including construction of the new replacement Cherokee HS campus and Free Home ES campus, are on schedule and within budget;  
•    Recognized CCSD’s National Junior ROTC Raiders Champions: Etowah HS, River Ridge HS, Cherokee HS.  Learn more here;
•    Recognized CCSD Overall Winners ‐ Support Staff Employees of the Year Awards: Elementary School, Kelly Miller, Avery ES; Middle School/High School/Centers, Stephanie Weier, Mill Creek MS; Central Office, Patrick Walker, CCSD School Leadership & Operations.  Learn more here;
•    Recognized CCSD School Nutrition for earning Georgia’s Farm to School Award.  Learn more here;
•    Recognized CCSD’s REACH Georgia Scholar Winners: Sara Chance, Mill Creek MS; Farrah Fascitelli, Teasley MS; Fernanda Hernandez, Woodstock MS; and Leila Morris, Dean Rusk MS.  Learn more here;
•    Recognized CCSD’s GHSA State and Regional Champions: Creekview HS, Competition Cheer Region 6-5A Champions; Etowah HS, Cross Country - Boys Region 5-6A Champions and One Act Play Region 5-6A Champions; and Sequoyah HS, One Act Play Region 6-5A Champions.  Learn more here;
•    Renewed Partnership Agreements with the Cherokee County Educational Foundation (CCEF), Life University, and Woodstock Arts, and heard remarks of appreciation from CCEF Executive Director Lisa-Marie Haygood;
•    Approved the public offering of $120 million in general obligation bonds, as authorized by Cherokee County voters, for Education SPLOST projects, including but not limited to: construction of the new Cherokee HS replacement campus, classroom additions at Creekland MS, Creekview HS and Woodstock and a second gym at River Ridge HS, and athletic facilities at Sequoyah HS; as well as major repairs/renovations, technology equipment, property acquisition, and safety/security upgrades; and,
•    Approved granting maintenance easements to Cherokee County government and the Georgia Department of Transportation to the improve the Highway 140 and Univeter Road intersection and allow for a longer staging lane from Univeter Road into Indian Knoll ES and alleviate congestion.