Before any SPLOST, system must get finances in order

Before

any SPLOST, system must get finances in order

On Wednesday June 9

on page 7A, you published a school budget chart.

This was

for principals and operational personnel. It has been a

very long time since I have seen anything so ridiculous.

Throughout

your paper that day, in article after article, it is

stated how badly the school system needs money. The

administrators have cut themselves from 6.43 percent to

24.87 percent increases. Obviously the classification

system is really screwed up. There can be no rhyme or

reason for these increases.

Bear in

mind the teachers received 4 percent increases, which

should be adequate for administration.

Why would

one principal go from $63,800 to $79,900, while another

would go from $61,600 to $69,400? A 12.57 percent

increase versus a 24.87 percent increase?

The

elementary operations director receives a 19.21 percent

increase while the secondary operations director receives

only 8.95 percent increase. Both were earning $74,796 in

year 1999. And folks, let me tell you, these are only

salaries, they do not include perks and benefits. It is

pure and simple mismanagement.

Show me a

company in Fayette County or Georgia that gives these

kinds of increases.

Ladies and

gentlemen, this system is broke. You, the taxpayer,

continue to be ripped off and results are not improving.

There

should be a total financial accounting before the public

approves any increase. We should never under any

circumstances approve a SPLOST. The sales tax would

represent another new method of school taxation which is

not warranted.

When we can

afford $4 million stadiums and eight high school football

coaches, we obviously do not make a very good case for

more taxes.

We need a

private management company to come in and evaluate this

school system and review the checkbooks. Give me a break.

Harold

Sanford

Fayetteville

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