The Board of Education of the City of Marietta will soon begin development of the Fiscal Year 2011 (FY11) budget. The school board must approve the FY11 budget by June 30, 2010. The state Legislature is currently in session and is considering education funding for the coming fiscal year. Unfortunately, due to the current economic situation facing Georgia, the outlook calls for further reductions in education funding.

The Marietta City Schools (MCS) general fund-operating budget consists of funding from three primary sources: 1) state funds (36 percent), 2) local funds (property taxes: 61 percent) and other local revenue (1 percent), and 3) Federal funds (2 percent, includes ARRA/Stimulus Funds).

Based on the information available to us at this time, the Governor's proposed supplemental budget (announced January 15) calls for an additional 1.5 percent reduction to Quality Basic Education (QBE) funding in the current Fiscal Year 2010 (FY10) budget and three additional furlough days for employees before June 30, 2010. These additional cuts bring our FY10 budget reductions to $5.2 million (4.5 percent reduction to QBE funding and funding associated with six furlough days.) Loss of funding due to furloughs occurs whether employees take furloughs or not.  

Given the Governor's recent budget recommendations, and in order to cope with the state's budget shortfall, pending Board approval on February 5, MCS employees will take two of the three state mandated furlough days this semester. However, if the current budget situation worsens, we may have to add one additional furlough day prior to the last scheduled workday of 2009-2010. The two designated, state mandated, MCS furlough days are January 8, the inclement weather day, and the professional learning day of February 17.

As the state Legislature continues to meet and the depth of the budget crisis becomes more evident, MCS will provide the community and our employees with updates regarding revenue projections and other potential reductions under consideration.