Cherokee School Board Approves Legislative Priorities

CHEROKEE COUNTY, GA — The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday approved its 2022 legislative partnership priorities, which advocate for continued local control of public education decisions and the end of state educational funding budget cuts.

The priorities are an annual list published by the school board outlining its stand on education issues related to local control and governance, educational opportunities and funding anticipated to come up for a vote before the state legislature. The list, which includes contact information for all of Cherokee County’s state legislators, so residents can help lobby for public schools, is published online.

The school board, in regard to local control and governance, asks legislators to support legislation that maintains school board’s decision-making power on such issues as local school year calendars and local policies allowing parents to challenge instructional materials. The priorities also ask legislators to: eliminate the unsafe practice of using schools as public polling places during school days; oppose efforts to limit school system’s legal protections; and continue to allow retired educators to work part-time, when needed, to help support schools.

In regard to educational opportunities, the school board asks legislators to support offering a second diploma option focused on workforce readiness skills; providing broadband internet access for all Georgia families; and Mountain Education Charter High School, a state charter high school that district partners with in order to provide families an evening high school choice with self-paced curriculum. The Cherokee Schools' location is at Etowah East on the Etowah High School campus.

The school board, in regard to funding, asks legislators to vote to restore full state educational funding, which this school year was reduced for Cherokee County schools by $9.4 million through state “austerity cuts.” Additionally, the school board asks legislators to adjust state educational funding to fully cover the actual cost of underfunded services, such as student transportation services, school counselors, school nurses, school police officers and other school safety and security measures. The priorities also request that legislators oppose the use of state tax dollars for private school and home school vouchers; make any state compensation increases for teachers permanent state salary increases; and protect teacher retirement system benefits for future educators.

School Board Chair Kyla Cromer and School Board member Clark Menard spoke to the role of school board members to advocate for the state to fully fund public education, which is a Constitutional obligation of the state legislature.

“We would like the money they need to legally provide to us. We want to make sure we get our fair share,” Menard said. “You would call us financially irresponsible if we didn’t. It does take money to run a school district. It does take money to pay teachers.”

The school board on Thursday also approved one-time retention bonuses for Cherokee Schools employees to be paid using $5.5 million in federal CARES Act pandemic relief funds. The bonuses, which will be paid out in November paychecks, will be $1,000 for full-time employees and $500 for specific, district-allocated part-time employees (part-time paraprofessionals, part-time parent engagement facilitators and part-time school nutrition workers only) actively employed through Nov. 30. Employees hired into these categories between Dec. 1 and March 1, 2022 and who remain employed through the end of the school year will be eligible for this same retention bonus at the conclusion of the school year. School board members do not receive bonuses.

Earlier this school year, the district increased the hourly rates for other part-time employees to better reflect the current labor market and encourage both recruitment and retention of critically important staff, including substitutes, cafeteria monitors, after school program workers, clerical staff, paraprofessionals and more.

School board members at several points during the meeting spoke of their appreciation to employees for their service throughout the pandemic.

“It’s the least we can do for all that our teachers have gone through the past year and a half, two years,” School Board member Mike Chapman said in recognition of their efforts to continue excellent instruction throughout the pandemic’s challenges. “I really appreciate all that our teachers and staff do.”

Education SPLOST

Also on Thursday, the school board adopted a resolution declaring official election results for the Nov. 2 renewal of the Education SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax), which was approved by 75 percent of voters – an even higher rate of approval than the last renewal. The results, which were ratified by the Board of Cherokee County Elections and Voter Registration, also show that the continuation was approved by the majority of voters in every precinct countywide.

The Ed SPLOST is used for school construction projects and other major capital outlay expenses like replacing aging high-mileage school buses and outdated technology. Planned construction projects include the new/replacement Cherokee High School and Free Home Elementary School; new classrooms at Creekview High School, Woodstock High School, Creekland Middle School and Oak Grove Elementary School STEAM Academy; second gyms at Creekview High School and River Ridge High School; and athletic facility improvements at Etowah High School and Sequoyah High School.

The strong approval of the school board’s request to continue the Ed SPLOST occurred despite efforts by political groups to circulate misinformation in the days before the election. To correct the record in regard to this misinformation, Hightower shared an Ed SPLOST fact sheet with the school board during the meeting, which also is published on the district website online. Cromer thanked the community for its approval of the Ed SPLOST renewal on Nov. 2, with 75 percent of voters supporting the school board’s proposal.

Hightower also shared additional positive fiscal news with the school board. Due to their fiscally conservative measures, they will be able, in the spring, to retire a bonds series from past borrowing more than 10 years ahead of schedule - avoiding $7.8 million in interest costs and further improving the district’s fiscal position, which influences borrowing capacity and credit ratings.

“We’ve flipped this equation to the positive,” Menard said, thanking his fellow board members and Hightower and his staff for their work to reduce the district’s bond debt. “This is significant.”