Franklin Co School Superintendent Holds Live FB “Class” on Reasons for Millage Increase

The Franklin County Board of Education is expected to vote Tuesday evening to approve a 1.2% increase in the millage rate, bringing it to 17.0 mils.

At a called public hearing aired live on the Franklin County Schools Facebook page last Thursday evening, School Superintendent Chris Forrer went over the reasons behind the increase and answered questions from concerned citizens.

One of the first and one of the biggest questions Forrer says he has received is why hasn’t the school system been making cuts.

“If you look at the proposed expenditures for FY20 and the proposed expenditures for FY21, you will see that there are over $4-million in cuts that have been made. We are cut back 11.6%. I don’t know what other school districts have done but I can promise you that that 11.6% is one of the highest in the State,” he said.

Another issue for the school system according to Forrer was the depletion of their fund balance.

“At the end of FY18 we about $7,5-million in our fund balance. At the end of this year, we were supposed to have $1.7 million. Thanks to the employees of this district and the Board who have been tirelessly been cutting throughout the year we managed to save about $1.3 million throughout the year. Any financial person will tell you that’s not enough,” Forrer explained.

Forrer said they had additional personnel costs those years, the $3,000 pay raise for teachers included a local cost to the school system of $750,000, and they lowered the millage rate which lost the school system about $4.5 million over that period.

Some have suggested that a rise in the millage will hurt the vote in November on the next School Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax or SPLOST.

“That’s apples to bowling balls as to how the money is spent. Your money you’re putting into the millage increase goes to our general fund, which basically pays salaries and operations. SPLOST is dedicated to facilities. It’s not a new tax or a tax increase, it’s just maintaining what we have. It’s also the fairest tax. Everybody pays SPLOST. 75% of SPLOST is paid by people who do not live in Franklin County. For every quarter someone spends in Franklin County, we get a dollar back. It really is the best deal of raising revenue that we have,” he said.

The new SPLOST, if passed, will pay for a new elementary school, improvements to the Ag facility, and the Athletic facilities.

Forrer suggested voting down the next school SPLOST will only hurt students and education in general in Franklin County.

“None of that will happen if we don’t pass SPLOST. And it’s self-defeating. There’s no way we can continue to lower the millage rate and get it back down if we don’t pass SPLOST. We take about 2 mils a year from SPLOST for operational costs, which is legal. For example, the Board just allowed every student to get a Chromebook this year. That (money) came from SPLOST. If we didn’t have that money from SPLOST it would have had to come from the General Fund. So, voting down SPLOST would not be good,” Forrer explained.

Forrer’s full millage presentation and question and answer video can be viewed on the Franklin County Schools Facebook page.

Two more public hearings on the millage will take place at 8a and 6p Tuesday before the School Board votes tomorrow evening to pass it.