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Hamilton County School Board and Finance Committee Meet to Discuss Budget Crisis

   Just where to make millions of dollars in cuts is the question hanging over the Hamilton County School Board.

    A budget committee met for the second time Tuesday evening.   The members, many of them citizens, not politicos, listened as board CFO Tommy Kranz ran through the paces on his power point presentation.   There are no answers here, only cold, hard facts and figures.   These folks will have to come up with ideas and ultimately the school board itself will have to make some tough decisions.

     At least one trial balloon floated has been mentioned before, some schools must be closed.  Average utilization for county school buildings is at just over 75-and a quarter percent, the goal is 85%.   53 buildings are below this ideal goal and officials made their case that larger schools were performing well academically.

     To maximize time and expertise, Superintendent Dr. Jim Scales wants to divide the committee in two with half the members working on school consolidation, the others, budget cuts.

     CFO Tommy Kranz says the school system faces a 20-million dollar hurdle at the very least, with several more needed for maintenance and the capital program.

     While property taxes are up, sales taxes are down leaving state BEP funds in jeopardy.

     The two sub committees will have open meetings attended by finance chair Linda Mosley.  The full committee will meet at 5:30 on Tuesday evenings.