Schools

Information on New School Calendar to Go Out Early Next Week

In the meantime, parents are invited to access budget information on the Barrow County School System's eBOARD website.

Information on the will be sent to parents early next week, Superintendent Wanda Creel said in an e-mail to Barrow Patch

But in the meantime, she encourages parents to visit the school system's eBOARD website for more information on the FY2013 budget, including a video

The calendar change, reducing the number of days students attend school from 180 to 160, is part of a tentative budget for FY2013 that anticipates almost $94 million in expenditures but slightly less than $85 million in revenues. The calendar change is expected to save the school system $440,752. 

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"The first time that a 160 day calendar was brought up was through our survey regarding the calendar for this year," Creel said. "We received many recommendations to consider the 160 calendar 'like Walton County'."

Creel said the school system did not make that an option at the time — administrators were not aware that the tax digest is projected to decrease drastically, an anticipated decrease of 16 percent. 

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"We would have liked to provide more upfront discussions with our parents regarding the 160 day calendar and the bell schedule but felt that it was most important to have a tentative budget approved that included all of the budget reductions needed to balance our budget before school concluded," Creel said. 

The school system is looking at several ways to reduce expenditures, including the following: 

  • Six furlough days — Expected to save $ 1,772,120
  • Eliminating health insurance contribution employee cost — $512,529
  • Change subdivision pickup points for students from .25 miles .50 miles — $44,032
  • Moving the locations of students with disabilities classroom and special education preschool class — $13,024
  • Limiting field trips and having middle and high schools pay 25 percent of competition trips — $12,893
  • Reviewing of phone and Internet accessibility — $4,000

These reductions could decrease the school system's expenditures by $2,799,350. 

School lunch prices will also change for the 2012-13 school year.  to read about the increases in lunch prices. 

What do you think about the new school calendar for 2012-13? What other cost-saving measures do you think the system should take? Tell us in comments. 

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