Newspaper Page Text
THE
ACKSON
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H Wednesday, January 5, 2011
ERALD
www.JacksonHeraldTODAY.com
VOL. 136 NO. 30 SO PACES 4 SECTIONS PLUS INSERTS A PUBLICATION OF MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. JEFFERSON, JACKSON COUNTY GEORGIA 30549 75« COPY
— Inside —
Area news:
•State changes in
grocery tax possible
page 2A
•WJ Relay for Life
event coming up Tues.
page 2A
Op/Ed:
•'Issues, goals for
2011' page 4A
Sports:
•Transfer player has
been huge addition for
JCCHS page IB
Features:
•Local educator
Rachael Parr honored
in Washington, D.C.
page 1C
Other News:
•Public Safety
pages 6-7A
•Legals
pages 8-25C
•Church News
page 10B
•Obituaries
page 11B
•School News
. . . pages 10-12A, 12B
O -S
School financial efficiency?
Jefferson City Schools cheapest in per student spending
WHAT ARE THE most effi
cient school systems in the area?
With budget cuts, furlough
days and other financial moves
by area school systems during
the economic downturn, how
schools spend their money has
come under increasing scrutiny
in recent years.
In the four counties served by
Mainstreet Newspapers (Jackson,
Barrow, Banks and Madison
counties), plus nearby Oconee
County for balance, the most
efficient school system in spend
ing per student is the Jefferson
City School System, which in
FY2010 spent $7,169 per stu
dent. That is among schools with
the lowest spending per student
in the state.
That is in contrast to the
Jackson County School System,
which spent $8,875 per student
in FY2010, $1,700 per student
more than Jefferson. That was
the highest in the five-county
area and ranked the system 69th
in the state in per student spend
ing.
Perhaps surprisingly, the
Barrow County School System,
which is the largest in the group
with over 12,400 students, was
second only to Jefferson in per
student spending at $7,804,
which is $1,000 less per student
than the Jackson County system.
DIFFERENCES
So what makes up the differ
ence in spending? When bro
ken down by spending areas, it
becomes clear that some school
systems spend much more on
overhead expenses than other
systems.
In “school administration”
expenses, for example, the per
student spending ranges from a
low of $420 per student in Banks
County to a high of $757 in
the City of Commerce School
System.
continued on page 5A
Cost per Student
And State Rank
Figures given for Jackson County, Jefferson
City and other area school systems
Svstem
Svs. Size
Rank
Banks County
2,905
104th
Barrow County
12,468
28th
Commerce City
1,436
147th
Jackson County
7,133
48th
Jefferson City
2,652
112th
Madison County
4,718
66th
Oconee County
6,492
54th
Svstem
Overall
Rank
Banks County
$7,919
147th
Barrow County
$7,804
156th
Commerce City
$8,687
87th
Jackson County
$8,878
69th
Jefferson City
$7,169
173rd
Madison County
$8,803
76th
Oconee County
$8,547
102nd
Svstem
Gen.Adm.
Rank
Banks County
$389
89th
Barrow County
$263
153rd
Commerce City
$513
47th
Jackson County
$357
104th
Jefferson City
$344
116th
Madison County
$389
88th
Oconee County
$271
148th
Svstem
Sch.Adm.
Rank
Banks County
$420
166th
Barrow County
$498
136th
Commerce City
$757
14 th
Jackson County
$678
27th
Jefferson City
$431
164th
Madison County
$556
88th
Oconee County
$682
25th
Svstem
M&O
Rank
Banks County
$567
147th
Barrow County
$537
161st
Commerce City
$702
67th
Jackson County
$786
37th
Jefferson City
$481
172nd
Madison County
$595
131st
Oconee County
$624
107th
New Year’s Program
COUNTY BOE MEMBERS SWORN IN
Celinda Wilson and Steve Bryant are shown being sworn in by probate judge
Margaret Deadwlyer to serve on the Jackson County Board of Education. Jackson
County Board of Commissioner Dwain Smith was waiting to be sworn in.
Photos by Angela Gary
I 1 I I
PARTICIPATE IN PROGRAM
Shown above (L-R), Jackson County State Court Solicitor Don Moore served
as the presiding officer for the annual New Year’s Day program; the Rev. Jack
Lawson, pastor of Jackson County Baptist Church, was the guest speaker; and
Mary Burley sang “God Bless America” at the Saturday morning program.
Survey by Census Bureau provides
details about local communities
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
THOSE LIVING in Braselton have the lon
gest average commute to work — 29.6 minutes
— compared to residents in other nearby cities.
Hoschton has a slightly older population
— with an average age of 35.4 years — than
Braselton. Jefferson or Winder.
And a large percentage of people living in
Winder — 46 percent — live in rental units. As
a comparison, 14 percent of people in Braselton
and 30 percent in Hoschton live in rental hous
ing.
Those are just some of the results from the
U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community
Survey — which highlights social, economic,
housing and demographic data for communities
throughout the nation.
It’s those results that can tell how long people
have been living in their houses, what’s a com
munity’s average household income and the
highest level of education achieved by resi
dents.
The five-year American Community Survey
released by the Census Bureau in December
includes data for communities from 2005-2009.
The survey complements the decennial
Census count and provides estimates of popu
lation characteristics that are more detailed
than the basic demographic information that
will be released by the Census Bureau starting
in February.
The Braselton News compiled some
of the results and compared four area cities
— Braselton, Hoschton. Winder and Jefferson
— based on the data provided by the Census
Bureau.
Complete results for communities can be
found at www.factfinder.census.gov.
continued on page 5A
Local school systems
have large payrolls
THE JACKSON County
and City of Jefferson school
systems had payrolls of $45
million and $14.2 million
respectively in fiscal year
2010, offering some of the
highest paying jobs in the
county.
According to FY2010
data recently released by the
state, the Jackson County
School System had 1.619
people on its payroll in the
year, including part-time
staff and substitute teach
ers.
Some 675 staff members
made above $30,000 in the
year with eight employees
making above $100,000.
A total of 22 system
employees made above
$90,000. The highest paid
teacher in the system made
$101,700 in FY2010.
The system also spenl
$112,954 in travel in the
year.
JEFFERSON
The Jefferson City School
System had a payroll of 484
people, including part-time
positions.
Of the full-time positions,
219 made over $30,000 with
three making over $100,000.
Seven employees made over
$90,000.
The highest paid teachei
in the system was a coach
ing slot at $87,700.
The system spent $27,900
in travel reimbursement in
the year.
For a complete listing oi
salary and travel expense
for system employees mak
ing over $30,000 in both
systems, see pages 3, 8 and
9A.
Changes in property
tax administration
THERE HAVE been
changes in the administration
of ad valorem property tax
effective for year 2011. They
include, but are not limited
to, changes in the definition
of market value, the send
ing of assessment notices and
part of the appeal process.
“The importance of, or
the method of. the filing of
a return has not changed.”
said Henry Williams, Jackson
County’s chief tax appraiser.
“In fact, it is probably more
important to the property
owner now than it was before
that you file a property tax
return.”
The return must be filed
between the dates of January
1 and April 1 of the taxable
year. The return can be filed
by coming into the tax asses
sor’s office and filling out the
form.
The person at the counter
will print the taxpayer a par
tially pre-printed form and
assist in completing the rest
of the form and an appraiser
will be available to answer
questions.
Taxpayers can also go to
the web site, qpublic.net/ga/
Jackson/, and go to form PT
50R and get a blank form
and fill it out and either mail
or fax it to the tax assessor’s
office. The mailing address is:
67 Athens Street. Jefferson,
Ga. 30549. The fax number
is 706-367-5349.
“I recommend either mail
or come in to the office in
person.” Williams said.
“We do the best we can, but
sometimes the faxes get mis
placed.”
When filling out the form,
it is very important to give the
address both of the property
and your mailing address,
Williams said, as well as list
ing the size of the land and
description of the improve
ment, the previous year’s
value and the current year’s
value.
“Be sure to sign and date
the form,” Williams said. “If
you do not file your return
before April 1 of the tax year,
then on April 1, the tax asses
sors will file one for you at
the same value as the prop
erty was assessed for the pre
vious year. This will be your
legal and binding return value
for the current year.”