After several Bulloch County Board of Education members reported hearing from teachers and parents about a lack of enough books for students to take home, two members voted against tentative approval of the school system’s budget.However, the budget for fiscal year 2015, which begins July 1, was tentatively approved Thursday, 5-2 with one member absent, and can now be advertised for final adoption.The budget includes general fund payouts of $74.6 million and revenues of roughly $74.5 million. That’s a 4 percent increase in spending over last year’s $71.7 million projection, but a 9 percent increase in revenue.One spending area that is being decreased is the departmental budget for teaching and learning. Board member Anshul Jain noted a decrease of about $80,000 in a line item for books, from a little more than $420,000 this year to $340,000.“Why are we reducing the sum of money that is being allocated to the purchase of books?”
Not enough books for all students?
Question drives debate as BOE tentatively OKs budget