The Liberty County school board has scheduled public hearings for Nov. 6 and 13 to consider the tax millage for next year. The board is using a tentative “placeholder” figure of 16 mills — the current millage — while collecting data.
One factor the board must consider is it must set the millage at a figure equal to at least 95 percent of the state average to retain the largest portion of its federal impact aid. Since only about one-third of the state school systems have set their millage, the average cannot be determined.
School officials said during their meeting Tuesday they hoped information would come in quickly and possibly allow them to lower the millage.
Interim Superintendent Harley Grove noted that state austerity cuts to education were continuing and some systems would have to increase tax millage to make up for lost state funds.
The Nov. 6 millage hearing will be at 9 a.m. at the board office at 200 Bradwell St. The Nov. 13 hearings will be at 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., followed by the BoE’s regular meeting.
In other business, the board discussed the need for school resource officers at middle schools. Lewis Frazier and Snelson Golden have SROs with offices located in the schools they but are not necessarily present at the schools all the time.
Midway Middle School has no school resource officer and officialshave been unable to work out a partnership to share the costs to fund one. Other middle schools receive partial funding from the jurisdiction in which they are located to help for SROs, but Midway Middle School is in Midway which cannot afford to contribute.
Board members decided to continue to pursue all possibilities to place an SRO at MMS. Board member Charlie Frasier emphasized the need, saying, “Middle Schools are tough. Middle schools are tough.”
One factor the board must consider is it must set the millage at a figure equal to at least 95 percent of the state average to retain the largest portion of its federal impact aid. Since only about one-third of the state school systems have set their millage, the average cannot be determined.
School officials said during their meeting Tuesday they hoped information would come in quickly and possibly allow them to lower the millage.
Interim Superintendent Harley Grove noted that state austerity cuts to education were continuing and some systems would have to increase tax millage to make up for lost state funds.
The Nov. 6 millage hearing will be at 9 a.m. at the board office at 200 Bradwell St. The Nov. 13 hearings will be at 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., followed by the BoE’s regular meeting.
In other business, the board discussed the need for school resource officers at middle schools. Lewis Frazier and Snelson Golden have SROs with offices located in the schools they but are not necessarily present at the schools all the time.
Midway Middle School has no school resource officer and officialshave been unable to work out a partnership to share the costs to fund one. Other middle schools receive partial funding from the jurisdiction in which they are located to help for SROs, but Midway Middle School is in Midway which cannot afford to contribute.
Board members decided to continue to pursue all possibilities to place an SRO at MMS. Board member Charlie Frasier emphasized the need, saying, “Middle Schools are tough. Middle schools are tough.”