Newspaper Page Text
THE
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H Wednesday, March 17, 2010
ERALD
www.JacksonHeraldTODAY.com
VOL. 135 NO. 39 56 PACES 5 SECTIONS PLUS INSERTS A PUBLICATION OF MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. JEFFERSON, JACKSON COUNTY GEORGIA 30549 75« COPY
— Inside —
Area news:
•Isakson speaks on
debt, healthcare
page 3 A
•Lanier Tech contract
renewed by BOC
page 2A
Op/Ed:
•'Citizens want less
spending, not more'
page 4A
Sports:
•Diamond Panthers
remain undefeated
page 1B
Features:
•Quilt With Friends
page 1C
Other News:
•Public Safety
pages 6-8A
•Legals
pages 10-26D
•Church News
page 9B
•Obituaries
pages 4-5B
•School News
pages 9-12A, 7B
Jefferson considers 4-day school week
BY KATIE HUSTON
JEFFERSON school officials are con
sidering a number of additional cuts,
including the possibility of moving to a
4-day school week schedule.
The system is concerned that the finan
cial downturn will continue to hammer
the system’s budget through the next two
school years. For FY2012, federal stimu
lus money will no longer be available.
This year, that amounted to $474,600 to
help pay school system salaries.
“The concern’s not just what’s in front
of us,” said financial officer Kim Navas.
“What’s in front of us is helping keep us
afloat for the next two years.”
Today, the system is projecting $17.4
million in revenue with $17.5 million
in expenses for FY10. The system had
planned to need about $500,000 to bal
ance the 2010 budget, but should only
need about $130,000. When the expenses
from the initial 2010 budget are com
pared to the revised projection, the sys
tem has cut $645,000.
Enabling this was the addition of three
furlough days, a state insurance rate
reduction and over-budgeting in certain
areas.
Places where the system is considering
cutting back are: Reducing or eliminat
ing employer-paid health insurance pre
miums, which would save an estimated
$20,000 a year; increasing teacher-stu
dent ratios that would save an estimated
$100,000 a year; and switching to a
four-day school week which, would tack
on an additional hour and ten minutes a
day. That move could save the system
$47,000.
The system has already been sav
ing money where substitute teachers are
concerned by shifting teachers around to
help cover classes.
It’s also been paying close attention
to transportation costs and utility usage,
making sure nothing is running when
there is no need.
“Energy conservation has really
helped our situation,” Superintendent
John Jackson said. “There’s no question
about it.”
Ninety percent of the system’s money
goes toward employee salaries and ben-
efits, four percent to utilities, two percent
to purchased services and supplies, while
maintenance, technology, instructional
costs and insurance each occupy one
percent.
RENOVATIONS:
Ongoing renovation projects and
impending renovation projects in the
works with the BOE include:
•a roof repair at Jefferson Elementary
School estimated to cost $25,000.
•a leak repair at the Jefferson High
School gymnasium.
•a floor leak in the JHS ROTC meet
ing room.
•resurfacing the track at JHS is esti
mated to cost $340,000.
•renovations to the William Duncan
Martin building are expected to cost
around $15,000.
•renovations at Memorial Stadium
to the concession stand, restrooms and
press box are impending.
•renovations to the Jefferson Middle
School weight room are impending and
estimated to cost $60,000.
•the field house at Memorial Stadium
requires impending renovations.
•the JMS soccer field requires renova
tions expected to cost $20,500.
ANSWERING QUESTIONS ABOUT PLAN
Jackson County commissioner Bruce Yates (second from left) and former
Jackson County Planning Commission chairman Tim Cornelison (far right)
talk with two citizens about the proposed comprehensive plan during an open
house last week at Gum Springs Elementary School. Photo by Kerri Testement
Overlay districts proposed for EJ
County continues work on comprehensive plan
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
WEST JACKSON has its overlay districts to
encourage new, quality developments — and
East Jackson may get its own, too.
Jackson County is working on its compre
hensive plan — a document that will guide
growth for the next 20 years by addressing the
county’s population, economic development,
land use and housing, among other topics.
“It’s a vision for the future,” said commis
sioner Bruce Yates. “How we’re going to
develop it. How we’re going to build, rebuild.
How we’re going to set aside special resour
ces.”
Jackson County has adopted overlay districts
along unincorporated areas of Ga. Hwy. 124
and Ga. Hwy. 53, after Braselton approved
several overlay districts in its town limits.
As part of the comprehensive plan, the
county wants to create overlay districts on the
east side.
One of the proposed overlay districts would
be located along Ga. Hwy. 98 and U.S. Hwy.
441 in Commerce, while a scenic corridor
would be preserved along Ga. Hwy. 334.
Overlay districts are created in addition to
existing zoning regulations. Many overlay
districts typically call for uniform design and
architectural standards for new developments
in a specified area.
The special overlay map is one of several
new maps in the proposed comprehensive
plan, along with a number of other docu
ments. Some of those maps and documents
are available on the county’s website (www.
j acksoncounty gov. com).
By the end of October, the county must
adopt its new comprehensive plan — follo
wing review by state and regional officials.
Meanwhile, the county held its first open
house last week at Gum Springs Elementary
School to discuss the comprehensive plan.
continued on page 3A
Would charter system
work in Jefferson?
BY KATIE HUSTON
EVEN AS THE Jefferson City
Board of Education considers tran
sitioning to a “charter” system, a lot
of questions remain.
Last week, Pat Stokes, a repre
sentative from Northeast Georgia
RESA, briefed the BOE on the
details of converting to a charter
system.
“If you totally re-do the way
you do school, how do you know
when a kid’s ready to graduate?,”
she said. “You can set your own
graduation requirements, you can
give two or three or four different
kinds of diplomas if you work it
out. That’s up to you and what is
best for you and your school.”
Each school system in Georgia
must decide by 2013 if it will enter
into a charter school system, or
an IE2 system. Schools that don’t
choose either will be called a “sta
tus quo” school.
Prior to becoming a charter sys
tem, the BOE would need to sub
mit a petition to the Department
of Education. The petition would
outline the focus of curriculum,
reflect student goals and objections,
show how things will be done dif
ferently and show anticipated stu
dent teacher ratio and the rationale
for the ratio.
Petitions are usually for a five-
year period, though a system can
lose its charter status at any time.
Status is lost if a system does not
meet the goals set for itself.
Stokes said that students need to
be taught more creativity and not
always be told exactly what to do,
which is one of the benefits of a
charter system.
“I firmly believe schools are
more than math, science and social
studies,” Stokes said. “School is
where you learn to be an adult.”
The major concern among board
members when considering the tran
sition is meeting AYP (Adequate
Yearly Progress). Chairman Ronnie
Hopkins was concerned with send
ing mixed signals to parents, teach
ers and students that creativity is all
that matters.
Stokes assured the BOE that test
scores are still important.
“Don’t think we’re not con
cerned (with state tests) because we
are,” Stokes said. “We’re always
going to be there in that cloud, and
you have to prepare the kids to take
the tests.”
Charter systems enable school
districts to avoid state spending
restrictions and guidelines. It also
allows the system to set its own
academic goals including gradua
tion requirements.
In converting, the local BOE
would manage funds and what
continued on page 5A
Jackson foreclosures climb
FORECLOSURES IN Jackson County continue to run high as some
171 are scheduled for the April sale date. That is the highest number for
any single month since the economic crash began.
For 2010 through April, 558 foreclosure actions have been taken in
Jackson County. The county recorded 1,427 foreclosures in 2009.
According to published sources, Metro Atlanta is also setting new
records in the number of foreclosures with over 12,500 in March.
Nationally, some project it will take three years or longer to run through
this foreclosure cycle as the economy stays weak and job losses push
more people into losing their homes. Current foreclosures are said to be
on more traditional loans and not subprime loans.
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