The

Fayette County Board of Education passed a $124.1

million budget Friday morning which includes a 3

percent raise for teachers, principals and

"classified" personnel.

The

budget is 6.7 percent more than last year's and

is based on a 7 percent anticipated increase in

the tax digest. The new millage rate will not be

set until September, but Jim Stephens, financial

director for the school district, said digest

growth should offset the school budget, making a

tax increase unnecessary.

School

Superintendent Dr. John DeCotis admitted that the

budget is not a "perfect document," but

said, "We've done the best we could.

"The

majority of money is going to schools and being

spent on the children," he said.

The

board voted four to one to approve the budget

with Woody Shelnutt casting the only vote against

the package.

He

said there were three or four things he opposed,

such as adding staff and administrative positions

plus apprehension that the budget may ultimately

necessitate a tax increase, instead of a decrease

in the fall.

While

places like Glynn County and Camden County in

south Georgia have reportedly cut administrative

positions to hire more teachers, according to

Shelnutt, Fayette County has pretty much held the

line. DeCotis said the school district has always

been careful about its hiring practices and kept

the student/teacher ratio low, compared to other

counties which may now have to scramble to start

meeting the state requirements being phased in by

House Bill 1187, the governor's education reform

package

Another

reason, DeCotis said, is that those particular

counties may just have a tighter money situation.

Implementing

the unified salary scale, included in the fiscal

2001 budget, will cost about $630,000 for

classified employees. The total cost for putting

24 school principals on the scale is estimated to

be $10,000.

The

budget provides for 46 new teachers, six new

administrators, 19 nurses to meet the state

requirements, 13 technology specialists and four

social workers, plus nine new operations support

personnel such as bus drivers and a records

officer.

There

is also a 33-person reduction in personnel due to

attrition, particular by paraprofessionals, or

reclassification in position.

The

financial impact of the governor's education plan

will not be felt immediately, according to

DeCotis, but local supplements to hire school

nurses will be necessary, adding $268,000 to the

budget.

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