All board members participated: Chairman Todd Sutton, Ronald Johnson, Terri Sessoms, Peggy Smith, Mike Wooten, and Tracie Zukowski in person; Teresa Grant by telephone due to illness Board adopts 2020-21 budget resolution; finance director expects finish in the black Almost four months into the 2020-21 fiscal year that began July 1, the board adopted the school system's formal budget resolution on Tuesday. Because Johnston's schools depend on county, state, and federal appropriations to fund its operations, the resolution breaks the budget into several pieces: • The biggest is $254,843,775 for instructional (mostly teacher salaries) and support services funded by the State of North Carolina. • Next is $72,350,000 for instructional and support services covered by county taxpayers. • Then comes the federal share of $8,304,919 for programs and operations. • Added to all that is the capital-outlay section that amounts this year to $43,040,553 --- mostly for school construction projects funded primarily by bond issues authorized by the county's voters in past referendums. It all adds up to more than $378.5 million. Chief of Financial Services Stephen Britt told the board he believes "in total we're going to be just fine" despite a year he says is "going to be extremely volatile" because of uncertainties associated with the coronavirus pandemic. A year ago the school system faced a financial crisis as its cash balance dwindled to worrisome levels. That was alleviated by a combination of mid-year budget cuts, an emergency appropriation by the County Commissioners, and savings that resulted from the shutdown in schools in mid-March because of COVID-19. As a result, the system ended last fiscal year June 30 with $9.8 million unspent. Mr. Britt told the board Tuesday he doesn't believe the system will need to dip into that reserve account this fiscal year. REVISED CLAYTON-AREA ATTENDANCE DISTRICTS OK'd The board gave final approval by unanimous vote to revised attendance districts prompted by construction of a new elementary school on Lynch Road off NC 42 east of Flowers Plantation that's scheduled to open next year. Approval includes new districts for both elementary and middle schools in the Clayton area to disperse more evenly the student populations at Archer Lodge Middle, Clayton Middle, and Riverwood Middle as well as the new elementary school and Corinth-Holders, Cooper, East Clayton, River Dell, Riverwood, and Selma elementary schools. That board has not yet adopted a name for the new school. VIEW details about the new attendance districts, including maps> DEADLINE EXTENDED FOR LEGAL-SERVICE PROPOSALS This past Monday (October 12) was the deadline for both individual attorneys and law firms to submit proposals for legal services provided the school system going forward. A school board committee recently decided on a two-pronged approach that calls for employment of a full-time staff attorney for the system supplemented by legal advice from a law firm experienced in public-school matters on an as-needed basis. Without discussing reasons for the postponement, board members agreed on December 1 as the new deadline for receiving proposals. SMITHFIELD MIDDLE ADVISORY COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS The board appointed Kevin Barnes and Pedro Macedo, both parents of students at the school, and reappointed Betsy Stevens, who has served since 2014, to the Smithfield Middle School Advisory Council as recommended by the school's principal, LaShunda Faison. JOHNSTON COUNTY'S SCHOOL PRINCIPALS SALUTED In commemoration of National Principals Month in October, the board gave a "shout-out" to Johnston's school principals, whose pictures were shown on video screens in the board room as their names were called (they were not present because of coronavirus restrictions on mass gatherings). Of Johnston's 46 principals, 27 are women and 12 represent racial minorities. MOST BOARD MEMBERS DON MASKS FROM SCHOOLS  Chairman
Todd Sutton is
shown wearing
a North
Johnston High
School
"Panthers"
mask --- one
of several
from a number
of Johnston's
schools that
he and other
board members
"modeled"
throughout
Tuesday's
meeting.
Ronald Johnson
was the only
member who
remained
unmasked
throughout the
proceedings. |
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