Enrollment cuts funds for school system

By Staff
Lower numbers mean $75,000 less money next year
Clif Knight, Hartselle Enquirer
A modest decline in student enrollment in fiscal 2004-05 will reduce the revenue Hartselle schools receive from the state by about $75,000 in 2005-06, according to Dr. Mike Reed, superintendent.
Reed said the revenue loss did not come as a surprise. "The amount of revenue a school system receives from the state is based on student enrollment and we knew that our numbers were down slightly last year," he pointed out. "After looking at the district's enrollment history, it's easy to see that this is not unusual and there's nothing to be alarmed about.
"The district will have to absorb the loss," he added. "We can and will do that. It will be done without losing any teacher units."
Reed said the state-mandated 6 percent pay raise for teachers will also adversely affect the school system's next budget. "We'll have to come up with about $73,000 to meet the salary requirement for 19 teachers who are paid from local revenue," he stated.
In the past the school system has absorbed state teacher pay adjustments without reducing the number of teachers it employs. Dr. Reed said he does not expect that to change next year.