Legislators ask county board to save money

When Gov. Nikki Haley vetoed 34 state budget items on Tuesday, Aiken County SchoolBoard member Donna Wesby admitted she was anxious about the vetoed funds impacting K-12 education statewide.

To her surprise, the South Carolina House and Senate overwhelmingly overrode 25 of Haley's vetoes Wednesday, including those related to education.

Then on Thursday, the five Aiken delegation Republican House members - Roland Smith, Tom Young, Bill Taylor, Bill Hixon and Kit Spires - sent a letter to School Board Chair Rosemary English asking the board to set aside the non-reoccurring dollars "for any future funding shortfall."

In the letter to English, the legislators cited the $2 million the Aiken County School District will receive through a late proposal to increase the per-pupil allocations.

"We think by doing this," the letter stated, "this will be the wisest use of these funds, considering the current status of the economy."

Wesby and fellow board member Richard Hazen agree to some extent with that proposal.

"The School Board and the administration will try to be frugal with the funds," Wesby said. "We'll make wise decisions whether to put those funds in reserve to deal with possible shortfalls or try to initiate some programs we feel are instrumental."

It's ironic, Hazen said, that the extra funds allocated by the General Assembly stemmed from an improved economy. That being said, the School Board approved the 2011-12 budget that included new projects but without those funds, he said.

"This left us slightly in the hole without having to do a tax hike," Hazen said. "But we also had 'flex' money that made up that difference. Even if the vetoes had been sustained, we would have been OK."

With the way education funding had been cut in recent years, Wesby said, she was surprised by the overrides by a huge majority of senators and House members.

"I'm not exactly sure about what the catalyst was for the delegation voting the way they did, but I'm certainly glad about it," Wesby said. "We're thankful for the delegation and I'm hopeful that we'll continue on this positive trend."

Bill Taylor values Haley's viewpoint and philosophy as a conservative reformer. However, the vast majority of lawmakers disagreed with her on the need for additional education funding.

"We have funded a considerably higher amount this year," Taylor said. "It was incumbent on (the delegation) to help the School Board understand our views about one-time money. That's simply what the letter is about. It's their choice about saving wisely, but we felt it was helpful to give them guidance and our perspective."

If the School Board does have to dip into its contingency fund for a small amount to balance the budget and a modest allocation or two, that won't affect the district's bond rating, Hazen said.

"We had cut a small amount for athletics playoff funds and matching band funds," he said. "That could be brought by the (administration) Cabinet."

The school district is moving in the right direction, Wesby said. Graduation rates improved by about 6 percent last year, and there are major improvements in subgroups of students, such as low-income, minorities and English as Second Language (ESL) students.

"We're using reading interventionists in our literacy model to help us meet the needs of students," she said. "We are mindful that any cuts we make will in no way compromise student achievements. If we have any questions, we can ask (Superintendent) Dr. Beth Everitt."

SClBContact Rob Novit at rnovit@aikenstandard.com.