The Lakeland School Board (LSB) met in a work session tonight (4.1.19) for a presentation on the Fiscal Year 2019-20 budget and discussion on helping to fund debt service for a high school in the City.
Link to agenda: https://lakelandk12.org/res/web/04.01.19%20WS/04.01.19%20Work%20Session%20Agenda.pdf
Link to Livestream: https://livestream.com/lakeland/events/8624134
Dr. Ted Horrell, Lakeland School System (LSS) superintendent, offered a series of slides providing the high points of a budget which will come to a vote at the LSB business meeting next week (4.8.19).
He commented this is the sixth budget as the LSS and the third budget with two schools (Lakeland Elementary School (LES) and Lakeland Middle Preparatory School (LMPS). High school students in Lakeland attend Arlington High School through an interlocal between the two Cities until a high school is built in Lakeland.
The first assumption he made for the next budget period predicts a total of 1,780 students in the LSS: 950 at LES and 830 at LMPS. Those numbers, he said, would require 46 general education teachers at LES and 33 at LMPS.
Noting that Lakeland Commissioner Richard Gonzales Jr. was in the audience, Dr. Horrell said the Commissioner would be relieved to know that for the sixth year, there will be no requests for operational funds from the City. He said he is very proud of that fact and said it was predicted that when the middle school was opened (August 2017), the School Board would ask for more operational funds, which did not happen.
Dr. Horrell said LSS revenue is expected to increase from $14.53 million to $15.95 million.
Among other assumptions Dr. Horrell made were bonuses for teachers, additional teachers and staff and salary adjustments for two positions.
His slide presentation can be viewed via the Google album, below.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/oX5HMsbTuNw5wcYA6
Next in the budget process is for Board members to meet individually with Dr. Horrell and LSS staff with the budget ready for a vote next week. “Then our budget will be integrated into the City budget,” said Dr. Horrell.
LSS Fund balance for debt service – high school in Lakeland
Kevin Floyd, LSB chair, said there has been no formal action as to whether Board members would or would not approve contributing $700,000 for four years (a total of $2.8 million) toward debt service if a high school for Lakeland is funded by the City and built.
A resolution dealing with due diligence on financing for a possible Lakeland high school was approved in a 3-2 vote March 20th by the BOC (Board of Commissioners) during a special meeting.
During the Jan. 14th LSB meeting, Dr. Horrell said it was feasible that LSS could afford to pay the funds to the City for debt service on a loan to build a high school.
Chair Floyd asked Dr. Horrell and Eric Plumley, LSB attorney, to draft a resolution to bring to the Board next week.
Board Member Geoff Hicks asked if Dr. Horrell felt comfortable with the funds and did he have any trepidation?
Dr. Horrell commented that based on where the fund balance is today, with the funds phased over four years, he felt the System would be able to replenish the amount and perhaps more. He said he consulted with Jessie Rosales, LSS finance director, and Jessica Millspaugh, human resources director and former finance director for the City of Lakeland, and feels comfortable with the amount and believes it to be generous and reasonable.
Vice Chair Laura Harrison wanted to verify that the funds would only be allocated to the City if there was a commitment to build a school within an allotted timeframe. She said she wanted to make sure there was clarity in the resolution.
Board Member Teresa Henry echoed her sentiments of Mrs. Harrison.
Dr. Horrell suggested that the resolution be accompanied by an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with the City, including a timeline.
Mr. Hicks said it is a scary thought not to move forward with a high school when the Board has been unanimously in favor of building a high school. (Plans to build a high school in Lakeland date back to 2014.) He said if student populations at the elementary and/or middle schools exceed capacity, then the System would be adding another building for the same number of students. “That is a huge hit financially for the System,” he said. However, he said, if another building is added (the proposed high school on the current middle school campus), and 800 students come back to Lakeland from Arlington Community Schools, the System gets the BEP (Basic Education Program) money and capital improvement funds based on ADA (Average Daily Attendance).
Other business
Mr. Hicks gave a report on bills moving or not within the Tennessee Legislature. He said public education seems to be under attack both nationally and at the state level. He mentioned Education Secretary Betsy DeVos who wants larger class sizes and at the State level, the push for vouchers or savings accounts to fund underprivileged students to private schools. He said all the municipal districts are against the vouchers, noting there is no accountability for the private schools who would receive the public funds.
Other legislation includes additional funding for school nurses (progressing); teacher salaries (somewhat stalled); and additional funding for School Resource Officers (no movement). “It’s been a rough go in the legislature lately,” he said.
Dr. Horrell announced there is an opportunity from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday for parents and the community to review textbook materials for the next school year.
Board Member Deborah Thomas said she and her committee have completed a review of the policy manual, required by the State every two years.
… Photos by Jim Willis, Lakeland Currents
