The DeKalb County School Board has again voted to postpone adopting a new budget while it considers a proposal to cut the school year by 10 days.
At today’s contentious meeting, board members agreed to hold their budget discussions until June 21 to give staff time to research a new budget proposal introduced by District 4 representative Paul Womack.
Womack’s budget would avoid a tax increase by cutting the school year 10 days. Officials are researching how that would affect the system.
“I will not support a millage increase,” Womack said. “Next year will be chaos if the economy continues to do what it is doing. People cannot take another tax increase.”
The board will meet again at 6 p.m. June 21.
The budget recommended by DeKalb County Schools Superintendent Cheryl Atkinson includes a tax increase of 2 mills, meaning taxes on a $200,000 home would go up $160 a year. DeKalb County Schools is considering a $760 million budget for fiscal year 2013, which begins July 1. The school system is facing a $73 million budget shortfall and has no money left in its reserves.
The Board of Education debated the cuts that would need to be made to adopt a balanced budget.
Board members disagreed over cuts to the Fernbank Science Center and reduced transportation to the system’s magnet schools and other special programs.
“If we do not make some decisions, this situation will continue to get worse financially,” Atkinson said.