School Board Meeting Live On Facebook Tonight

The goal of the Cannon County Board of Education for the 2020-2021 fiscal year is to decrease expenditures by $1.5 millon dollars. In doing so would enable them to turn in a balanced budget to the state which is a requirement.
The past two weeks have been a whirlwind for the schools. They approached the budget committee with a request for 75 cents of the property tax appropriation in which was a 6.5 increase from the current 68.5 cents they currently get. Although the increase would still mean cutting the schools budget significantly, it could have helped save some positions in some areas. After the request was declined, the schools had limited time to get their three options together to present a proposed budget at tonight's school board meeting.
The schools have not had a increase in appropriation in four years despite increases in mandated salaries and other expenses. In fact the appropriation dropped three cents after 2016. A chart comparison shows the percentage of the property tax given to the schools in comparison to other county departments has dropped below 54 percent since 2003 and has declined to 35 percent in 2013. It is now at 27.9 percent.
Three budget options were discussed Tuesday night at the Board Workshop. Of those three, two of them centered on closing Short Mountain School. While it was yet to be determined, the thought process was to send the students in two directions Auburn School and East Side.
There are only three tenured teachers at Short Mountain School. According to the figures, closing the school would cut $687,500 from the budget. Other possibilities include cutting art programs, librarians, instructional coaches, one contract bus, a school nurse, teacher bonuses and possible teacher positions.
Those three options will be considered tonight at the Cannon County Board of Education meeting. In addition a fourth option was worked out by board member Nathan Sanders that would keep the art programs and librarians and also allow all schools to remain in tact.
In considering each of those options, the Board will also have to think about the next fiscal year when even more state mandated raises will be required and will call for another increase in revenue to match the expenditures.
Tonight's meeting will start at 6:30 at the Woodbury Grammar School. The meeting will be broadcast live on the Cannon Courier News and Events Facebook Page starting at 6:25.