By Nan Cooper / SPECIAL

With an estimated revenue shortfall of as much as $62 million this year added to an expected $60 million reduction last year, the Fulton County School System (FCSS) is looking for more creative ways to cut back.  On the block right now are calendar days.  With the signing of HB 193, the Georgia Department of Education has given school districts flexibility in setting the total number of days in a school year.  The previously mandated 180 days may be reduced by lengthening the days to provide the same total number of minutes of instruction time over the course of a year.

According to Representative Brooks Coleman (R-Gwinnett), chair of the House Education Committee, “This bill was well received by all the committee members.  It’s another tool in the tool box – and not always to save money, but to work with the parents and community to find innovative and creative ways to meet the needs of their students.”

The calendar committee for FCSS consists of a 17-member panel of parents, school leaders and central office administrators.  They first proposed three 175-day calendars for the school board to review with their communities.  Receiving push-back from North Fulton County parents, Linda Schultz, Board Member (1st District), asked Fulton County Superintendent Dr. Cindy Loe and her staff to provide other options, including some that would include a 180-day calendar.

The committee is now proposing a 177-day calendar with an estimated savings of $1.1 million. With a General Fund budget of over $800 million, this represents a savings of only 13 percent. However, the school system is looking for anything to ease the possible $62 million revenue shortfall it now faces.

A DAY LATE AND $120 MILLON SHORT

The proposed calendar adds ten minutes to each day and removes the five Early Release Days that had been implemented two years ago.  The Early Release Days swapped three hours of instruction time for system-wide teacher training.  These will be replaced by an equal number of teacher training days at the start of school.  For next year, school would start on August 16 (one week later than this year) and end on May 20 (one week before Memorial Day).

At first glance, this may seem like a good idea. Yet, “From a parent perspective,” says Inge Robb, who has one child at Roswell North Elementary School and one at Crabapple Middle School, “I am against the reduction in our school calendar days. The perception is that the school system does not value our education.” Robb then added, “From a business perspective, I understand the financial predicament we are in. Due to the challenging economic times, some unpopular decisions will need to be made.”

Another parent, Kathy Fitts, said, “Even though the schools will find a way to teach what they need to teach no matter how many days are in the calendar, the turmoil for the students is not worth the relatively small estimated cost savings.”   Added her daughter, Kailyn Fittsporter, a senior at Roswell High, “the days are already so long and intense that even ten more minutes would be tough.”

Schultz was equally as skeptical. “I am not convinced that a savings of $1.1 million is worth the tradeoff of three instructional days for students. For some students, those three extra days can provide the time needed to pass the course. We should explore all the alternatives for balancing next year’s budget instead. I anticipate another shortfall for next year’s budget and know we will have some difficult decisions to make.”

School Board Members will be soliciting input from the community in September at their individual community meetings and are tentatively scheduled to vote on the calendar options at the school board meeting on October 22. See www.fultonschools.org for the dates and locations of all meetings and the process for providing your input.