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THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL. THURSDAY. JANUARY 15, 2009 — PAGE 3A Schools expect to borrow money in Feb. due to late taxes By Ben Munro ben@mainstreetnews. com The domino effect of tax bills being sent late will mean the Madison County School System will likely run out of money by late February. Madison County schools superintendent Dr. Mitch McGhee told the board of edu cation (BOE) that he’ll recom mended next month that it take out a Tax Anticipatory Notice (TAN) to borrow the funds needed to operate schools until tax revenue comes in. “There’s nothing for y’all to approve right now,” McGhee told the school board Tuesday night. “But I wanted to keep y’all up (to date) with where we are right now.” Late county tax notices have held up school tax collections, McGhee said, and without that revenue, the school sys tem can only operate on its reserves until Feb, 20. “As it stands now, we will run out of money at the end of February,” he said. The school system will seek bids from banks for the TAN. Madison County will pay back the loan with the tax revenue, plus interest. “We’ll have to pay some interest,” McGhee said. “That’s the down side to that.” The superintendent said tax collections could start rolling in by April or May. “We’ll have to float the TAN for two or three months until the tax money starts coming in,” McGhee said. School system under hiring freeze By Ben Munro ben@mainstreetnews. com Until the school board knows what next year’s budget might look like, there will be no hires made for 2009-2010, according to Madison County Schools superintendent Dr. Mitch McGhee. “We are not hiring for next year at all until we figure out exactly where we are with the budget,” he said. With anticipated state funding cuts looming from the governor’s office, McGhee said he was “very concerned” about the bud get outlook going into the fiscal year of 2010. In the past, all standard programs didn’t have to be resubmitted to the budget process. Not this time, McGhee said. “We’re doing zero-based budgeting,” he said. “Every single program, every single teaching position, everything that we have, is going to have to be justified by a principal or a depart ment head.” The board will hold work sessions to start the bud get planning process in the coming months. McGhee said this could prove to be a laborious pro cess. “It’s going to take us some time to do all that, but that’s why we’re getting started now,” he said. BOE receives wish list for possible MGHS improvements By Ben Munro ben@mainstreetne ws. com Thirteen items have been listed as possible improve ments to Madison County High School, including a new two-story wing that would add 22 classrooms and a new media center. Other highlights of the wish list include adding a fine arts suite, new adminis tration and counseling suites, a new school entrance, sev eral lab renovations, expan sions of the gym and cafete ria areas, placing a new roof on the main building and football field upgrades. “We’ve been talking about a major facilities project from, I guess, the fall (board of education) retreat ... It’s a big part of the strategic plan,” county school super intendent Dr. Mitch McGhee said at Tuesday night’s school board meeting. Packages for improve ments could range between $10-$30 million. Of course, the economy could be a limiting factor in all this. “The way the economy is right now, it certainly may impact what we’re able to do, much less what we want to do,” McGhee said. The list of projects com piled by the high school’s “building leadership team, and “were not necessarily in priority order,” McGhee said. McGhee and the school board didn’t discuss any of the items specifically. The list will be sent to Charles Black Construction and Robertson Loia Roof who will attach approximate price tags to the different improvements. “They’re going to give us an itemized, pretty good ball park price for each one of these things,” McGhee said. School leaders will then meet with Knox Wall, a stock and bond brokerage firm, “to find out exactly what our ability to raise money is now,” McGhee said. A seven percent growth in SPLOST was projected a few months ago, but that outlook has likely changed with the eco nomic downturn. “I don’t think that’s going to be the case right now,” McGhee said. “We’ve got to revisit our ability to raise money.” The school board will convene in the next cou ple of months to further discuss potential facility upgrades. “Once I get the cost of all these things, and our abil ity to raise money, we’ll need to have to sit down and sit down and figure out what we want to do,” McGhee said. Time is somewhat lim ited. This fall is the last time local school boards have the freedom to take a refer endum to the voters. If the board wanted to shoot for a September ref erendum, it would have to finalize its plans by June. “We’ve got time, but we don’t have forever,” McGhee said. Graduation policy passes with virtually no controversy By Ben Munro ben@mainstreetne ws. com The Madison County school board voted Tuesday to require that all high school students first pass all gradu ation tests before they can walk across the stage at grad uation. Though county schools superintendent Dr. Mitch McGhee said this proposal was “not without controver sy” when presented to the school board in December, the new requirement passed The Comer City Council voted this month to approve a three-per- cent pay raise for all full-time city employees. The council voted unanimously in favor of the action at its Jan. 5 meeting. In other business, the council heard from Tim Holloway of Georgia Metal Finishing Inc. on Hwy. 172 at Madico Park. Holloway request with virtually no turbulence. The BOE heard no public comment over the matter, and the central office received just two responses against the policy in the past month. McGhee also noted that the majority of teachers at the high school endorsed the new rule. “The high school folks hope this will help our pass rate for the high school graduation test,” McGhee said, adding that there’s data to support an increase in scores. A student who fails the their lot at 2071 Madison Street from R-1 to R-2. Zoning administra tor Jim Baird noted that the property currently exists as a non-conforming use and he recommended the coun ty approve the request, the meeting minutes stated. Two people spoke in favor of the rezoning, while three spoke against it. The matter will be considered again at the council’s February meeting. graduation tests can take the exams indefinitely, but only the first attempt counts toward Madison County’s graduation rate. Graduation rate is one of the criteria used to assess high schools under No Child Left Behind. The new policy will take effect when this year’s soph omores are seniors. The school system’s current policy allows those fulfilling all coursework but failing the graduation test to receive a certificate of participation at to be informed of special events to be added to their site calendar. The council set 2009 election qualifying fees at three percent of elected officials’ salaries. The group heard an update from City Clerk Stephen Sorrells on the status of a city well. The council met in closed session with attorney Jim Roberts to discuss potential litigation. graduation, but no diploma. Madison County isn’t the first opting to tighten require ments in that area. Oglethorpe and Clarke counties have already adopt ed this rule. Franklin County school leaders voted it in this year. Jackson County is con sidering it. Law Office of Rob MiNilT LLC Lriiniiifll * HI.I iTraltif PugpjijI Injury ■* Civil Cnjitruptcj' * Debtor RdLef Mediuikm « Vi ilk 17ft Athens Rbai Wimtrville flVHittfiiFf 'A' ydhtKuxiEi Comer approves 3% raises for full-time employees ed city sewer service for his busi ness and the council unanimously approved the request. The council approved Kevin Booth as Mayor Pro Tern. They also approved the following coun cil member committee assign ments: Booth, streets and sidewalks; Melissa Yarbrough, parks and sani tation; Howard Threlkeld, water and sewer; and Laquita Bridges, police. The council tabled a request by Comer Baptist Church to rezone The council unanimously approved a separate request by Barbara Bendzunas to rezone her lot at 11 Gholston Street from R-l to BR to operate a business at the location. Beth McGraw addressed the council and expressed gratitude for new “Stop” and "Children at Play” signs in Royal Oaks Subdivision. She said the Royal Oaks Homeowners Association is creating a web site and would like CALL AND COMPARE PER GRAM 706-369-0000 GREG REEVES Fine Jewelry 011 Hawthorn! Ayd. ■ Athens LEAVES COVERING YOUR YARD? Visit us online at Madisonjournal TODAYcom THREE rrufh n dACS bumtakh miftBEt tnl nOHIS Ite ddtmiifllhidid Iy ml h nmn hy in tmtf h U pt dug hA trim aid dw autay aid Hpillk pt tie lot rat h Ufa rtwn tnl thfd. Bdfeti tAifuddlhtfe mf Ibmiditfft naf, tie Hh my ¥fa d |sabi ditm-tro-lm- to HaBliMbimtii AtadiBkBii fiend ATHENS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL Kn iff tie NAILS TAN 20% Off Bring In Ad Nails For Your Lifestyle 158 OwlvtnnStreet, Unit?, Cmm^ GA.llbd 706-783-0062 Kift Cnii& jIh AraflaUc city of Ha PUBLIC NOTICE The City of Ha Water System is an Equal Opportunity Program. Dbcdndniflni Eb pnddldted by Bcderal Law. Gomphkife may be filed with tho Secretary of AgrkulEure, Washington, D.C 20360. Keep your dollars h Madison County SHOP LOCALLY Sponsored by The fladison County Chandler of Commerce