Memorandum from Mary Kay Murphy
Mary Kay Murphy, Ph.D. District 3  School Board Member marykaymurphy@aol.com

April 9, 2010 

2010 Budget and Beyond 

As we approach the end of the 2009-10 academic year, the School Board and communities in Gwinnett County have completed the five Area Board Meetings in each of our Gwinnett County Public Schools districts. 

Thank you to each of you who participated in the District III Area Board Meeting at Duluth High School. We appreciate having the opportunity to update our community on many things, most especially a topic that is on the minds of many: the budgets for FY 2010, 2011 and 2012. 

Changes to the Gwinnett County Public School budget calendar in 2010 have had an impact on the flow of information to our community about programs, staffing, and activities that might be affected by cuts in State funds and reduced local funds from property tax valuation. 

One change of significance is the later development of the State of Georgia budget resulting from the shortfall in income and tax revenues experienced throughout Georgia. Thus, decisions about budget allocations, budget meetings, votes on the budget, and public hearings about the budget have all been delayed from previous years. 

To address questions that our community has about the implications of these budget developments, changes, and calendars, the Gwinnett County Public School website has posted and will update a Budget Outlook for FY2010, FY2011, and FY2012. It can be accessed at www.Gwinnett.k12.ga.us. Once on the website, look for the icon “Budget: Today, Tomorrow, and into the Future.” 

Of great importance is a statement from the School System that notes in difficult budget times when hard decisions must be made, GCPS is committed to… 

Doing everything possible to protect instructional time. 

Valuing its employees and continuing to avoid layoffs to the extent possible. 

Filling only critically needed positions that the budget can fund and continue to fund in future years. 

Implementing cost-saving measures wherever feasible. 

Gwinnett County Public Schools is currently in its budget-setting process, a process that uses the Governor’s Recommended Budget as its starting point. It is important for employees and citizens to understand the state budget situation and the impact it has on Gwinnett County Public Schools today and into the future. 

The website summarizes the budget cuts that the system has experienced in the past, as follows: “State budget cuts are not new to public education. GCPS has made many expenditure reductions over the past few years in response to state funding cuts. Those reductions include deferred maintenance, delayed purchases of textbooks and instructional materials, decreases of 12.5 percent in all central office budgets (5% in FY 2010, plus an additional 7.5 % in FY 2011), reduced staffing allocations to schools, and staffing reductions at the central office, (i.e., moving from five area superintendent positions to three)./” 

In addition to budget cuts over the years, Gwinnett County Public Schools continue to be a growing school district, as the website also summarizes: “GCPS continue to be a growing school district. In 2010-11, the district will open eight new school facilities and will see enrollment grow by more than 1,600 new students.” 

The website notes that no one knows for sure what the state budget picture will look like in 2011 and 2012 and beyond, but that there are some “certainties” that have to be considered in developing these future budgets. These include the following: 

Federal stimulus funds currently benefitting the state and GCPS will lapse and 
State ARRA stabilization funds for K—12 will disappear. 

State revenue must grow over the revenue for FY 2011 in order to replace lost federal revenue. 

Local revenue sources could be impacted further by continued shrinkage of the property tax digest and legislation aimed at reducing property taxes, thus limiting local government’s ability to raise needed revenue. 

As the District III Board member, thank you to our community for your continued support of public education in Gwinnett County—in years when our income and revenue are up—and during those times when both are down. 

We are confident that we will get through these days ahead because YOU are our community. Together, we will make the best decisions for the students of Gwinnett County Public Schools.

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