The Henry County Board of Education’s 2020-2021 budget will not be ready for approval before the next fiscal year begins July 1, so in June the district’s finance department will present a spending resolution to the board covering only the month of July.
District chief financial officer Christy Willis told the board at its May 11 study session that this is because the state legislature will not reconvene until June 11, having been in recess for three months, and the district does not have the state’s final dollar figures, which typically makes up about 60 percent of the budget. The law allows a resolution giving the superintendent the authority to spend money without a budget, but only for one month at a time.
In other business, the board delayed a vote on the district’s amended code of conduct, choosing not to place it on the agenda for the May 11 business meeting. The school calendars for 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 were approved as scheduled.
The board was informed at its study session that the code is being updated further in response to a considerable amount of feedback during the past month, since it was released for public review and comment a month ago. The revised version of the code will be presented to the board at its June meeting, at which time the board is expected to vote on its adoption.
Henry County’s schools will be getting $5.9 million in federal assistance from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. It is part of $411 million allocated for Georgia out of a $13.5 billion pool for K-12 schools nationwide. State officials determined Henry County’s share by using Title I allocations, according to information provided at the study session. The district has formed a steering committee to stay on top of all CARES Act-related developments, and must reserve a proportional share for the county’s private schools. That amount will be determined at the state level, officials said.
District leadership is preparing to start classes on time August 1 while also being ready for possible delays. Superintendent Mary Elizabeth Davis said that she is optimistic about starting on time in classrooms but will be prepared to begin a remote learning plan should it become necessary.
Even if in-person classes start as scheduled, a virtual alternative will be offered to any family that wishes to continue learning at home as all students have done since March, Davis said. Separate surveys are going out this month to students, parents/guardians, teachers and administrators to gauge what has worked well this spring and what needs improvement.
