Cherokee School Board Approves 2019 Budget

CANTON, GA — The Cherokee County School Board at its June 21 meeting approved the annual budget for 2018-19, which continues class-size reductions, increases safety and security spending and keeps the tax rate at its current level.

The balanced budget, which stands at $617.2 million, recommended by Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian Hightower grows the day-to-day operating budget to $406 million from the current $385 million based on rising student enrollment, the restoration of the final $4 million in state austerity budget cuts, and the property tax digest’s recovery to pre-recession levels.

The millage property tax rate remains unchanged at 19.45 mills; board members held three public hearings prior to approval of the budget and millage rate.

“You should be very proud,” Chief Financial Officer Ken Owen told board members, as he reviewed the budget’s highlights on Thursday night. “You’re putting more money right where it should be – the classroom.”

The recovered funding is headed to classrooms, with 55 more teachers allowing for class sizes to shrink to pre-Recession levels, fulfilling a top school board budget priority. Safety and security spending is significantly increasing, with the hiring of an additional three CCSD School Police Department POST-certified police officers, two more school counselors, installation of camera and electronic buzz-in systems at all high school front entrances, and investing $1 million to speed up security foyer construction among the funded enhancements.

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In order to maintain competitive compensation packages, the budget provides longevity step raises and a 1-percent cost-of-living salary increase to all eligible employees and hikes the starting teacher salary by $500 to $43,000. The budget funds the purchase of 30 replacement school buses, the hiring of additional bus drivers and monitors, school nurses and instructional lead strategist teacher coaches, while still stepping up reserves to $47 Million.

Along with the day-to-day general fund budget, the School Board also approved a $41 million building fund budget, which funds voter-approved Education SPLOST construction and technology projects.

“We continue to have to make a lot of difficult decisions when we talk through what we’d like to do,” Dr. Hightower said of the School District’s zero-based budget process, noting that rising healthcare and retirement benefits costs for employees take up a larger chunk of operating expenses each year. “We’ve tried to keep the budget as lean as possible, while still trying to do great things. There’s no better place to be than Cherokee, and we appreciate the consideration and support you, the board, give us.”

The School Board on Thursday night also approved the renewal of Dr. Hightower’s contract to extend through June 30, 2021. Dr. Hightower, who began serving as superintendent in February 2016, was appointed to the role after 30 years of service in CCSD beginning as a classroom teacher and advancing to assistant principal, principal, director, assistant superintendent and deputy superintendent.

“The board is pleased to offer the extension of the superintendent’s contract,” Board Chair Kyla Cromer said. “This recognizes the outstanding leadership and commitment to providing our students an excellent education.”

The School Board approved monthly personnel recommendations Thursday, which included the appointment of Tiffany Ridley as coordinator for School Nutrition, Lissa Pijanowski as an administrator on special assignment for the Division of Curriculum & Instruction, and Sherrie Smith as a CCSD lead nurse, among other additions and changes.

Dr. Hightower at the meeting announced an additional recognition that missed the agenda deadline – the School Board itself has earned an important honor for its governance and leadership. The Georgia School Boards Association awarded the board its 2018 Quality School Board designation. The statewide recognition program celebrates school boards that consistently model best practices and meet specific high standards of excellence.

“We know our school board members are of the highest quality, as servant leaders who show exceptional professionalism and compassion in all they do and who always put children first when making policy decisions,” Dr. Hightower said. “They pay their ‘civic rent’ every day through this extraordinary service and do so without any expectation for recognition. We’re so proud of them for the important work they do and for earning this special honor for our community.”

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