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Tax increases proposed... Two government bodies announce rate hikes State-mandated raises and benefits for local teachers, along with a declining student enrollment, have caused a shortfall of $1.3 million in the Wilkes County school budget that will require a 14.47 percent tax increase for Wilkes County property owners. The Wilkes County Board of Education tentatively approved a proposed millage rate at Monday night's regular meeting. The board has scheduled hearings for public comment on the proposed tax increase on October 25 at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., and a third at 9 a.m. on November 1. Board members will meet to vote on the millage rate immediately after that third public hearing. The budget for the 2007-2008 was set in June at $14,460,713.32, some $1.3 million over last year's $13.15 million. Director of Finance Elaine Wheatley said that the biggest part of the increase was due to the raises local teachers received. "We didn't have a tax increase last year, but since then we've had a state-mandated salary and benefit increase, and we have to fund that locally." Combine that with a county school population that decreases by 45 to 50 each year, she said, lowering the amount of state and federal aid the schools get, and the result is a shortfall. Transportation and energy costs continue to rise, too, she said. The property tax increase would not go to the construction of the new school complex. "The new schools are funded by SPLOST," Wheatley said. "This property tax pays for everything else." The SPLOST is a 1-cent sales tax paid by everyone in the county, whereas property taxes are paid only by property owners. At Monday night's meeting, Board of Education members Chairman Ricky Callaway, Vice-Chairman Bob Guin, Kelly Powell, and Steve Albertson set times for the three public hearings required by law before the tax increase can be approved. Board members set the hearing times on October 25 at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., and a third at 9 a.m. on November 1. Hearings will be at the Board of Education office,313-A North Alexander Ave. in Washington. The board also heard a Spotlight on Curriculum presentation from the county's new graduation coaches, Amethyst Wynn and Dorothy Jordan. Wynn, graduation coach at Washington Wilkes Middle School, said that she worked to identify students who were at risk for dropping out later, and then worked to guide them to resources and services to help them. The school's counselors, teachers, and student support team helped her identify at-risk students, and she works extensively meeting with parents, students, and school staff to help the students. She is now working with more than 60 students in grades 6 through 8. Wynn asked for tutor volunteers from the community to help at-risk students. "I've already strong-armed a few, but we need more," she said. She is soliciting inspirational speakers from the community to encourage students to get an education and succeed. Working with some 77 at-risk students at Washington-Wilkes Comprehensive High School, Dorothy Jordan said that although the graduation rate is 87.4 percent, "I need help. We need everybody's help to make this work - parents, teachers, the administration. It's possible, but we need everybody to help keep our kids in school." She praised Principal Steve Echols for his care of the students. "I've worked with him over the years, but this year I've truly noticed that he is a caring man. He's not a 'respecter of persons.' He loves all the students - he loves black, white, whatever - and we need a man like that in our school system, and parents like that, and board members like that." Chairman Callaway congratulated the two graduation coaches. "You've got a hard job, and we're not expecting perfection. If you can just save a few kids a year it's worth it," he said. The meeting started off with praise for high school principal Echols, as parent Brian Wood of Rayle commended Echols' actions when Wood heard that a fight might take place that day. He said Echols talked to all the parties, took care of the problem, and called Wood back to tell him he took care of it. "This was amazing - he called me back. That doesn't happen much around here," Wood said. Switching subjects, Woods then brought up problems his children were having with band equipment being stolen at school, and began to go on at length about the thefts and school policy. Callaway pointed out that Wood was on the agenda to "compliment an administrator," and that his time was up and to please sit down. "I'm not going to subject a principal to being complimented and then turn around and critiquing things they do to conduct school," Callaway said. In school business, the board approved the expenditure of $3,944 for gas lines to the new school complex. A routine request for permission for an out-of-state trip for FFA members to Indianapolis brought on a discussion of working limits for bus drivers. The itinerary of the trip indicated that the driver would be at the wheel for nearly 12 hours. "We've got to be careful that bus drivers don't go past the working limit," Callaway said. "Shorter trips are one thing, but this is an awful long drive for one driver. The board agreed to the request, but suggested a volunteer backup driver be found. Superintendent Joyce Williams passed out certificatesof accreditation with quality from Georgia School Accreditation to each school principal. Williams also brought an update on the SPLOST campaign to pass the sales tax that will pay for the new school. Pete Gartrell, chairman of the SPLOST Committee for Better Schools, has gotten brochures, yard signs, and other methods to get the word out. "We want to blanket the county with the word that we need to pass SPLOST," she said. On the new school construction project, Williams reported that she was working, along with the contractor and construction manager, to solve an apparent runoff problem that an adjoining landowner pointed out. "We have consulting environmentalists coming, and we'll work out a solution," she said. The traffic study from the Georgia Department of Transportation for the new school site has come back, Williams said, and it does not recommend adding any traffic lights for the intersection of Old Tignall Road and Highway 17. "Our transportation director, Mr. Callaway, is not pleased with that."
In a final piece of business, Williams reported that the stovetop and gas line were removed from the Young Farmers Building in response to the Fire Marshal's inspection.
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