News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
White County School Board Member Dewayne Howard wants to increase the number of members on the schools budget committee.
The school system currently operates as a centralized finance system through the county. The school board appoints one member annually to work with the county finance director and director of schools.
Howard said he would like to see three board members included.
“We have one member that is designated to our budget committee where the financial director hands him a piece of paper and he reads it,” Howard said. “I feel like it is necessary to have more information coming through to know what’s behind the numbers.”
The appointed budget committee members give a monthly report at each board meeting. That report often includes quarterly numbers and budget amendments. Howard said the budget deserves to have more people involved.
“So that was my desire to get more people that would know more about the information that could explain it and maybe not just one person’s way but two people or three people’s way on different points that they see to do this or not do this on any line item,” Howard said.
Howard said he also has concern with some of the schools expenditures. Howard said he wants to find ways to reduce overhead while also supplying students with their needs.
“We have spent almost $36 million dollars in the past four years on capitol ventures, buildings and projects on top of our $34 million dollar budget that has increased almost by a million dollars a year for the past nine years,” Howard said. “So when you hear that they may possibly raise property taxes to continue this type of effort, you want to see if there is a way we can save money.”
Howard presented the proposal during Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting. No action was taken by the board, but Howard said he plans to continue pursing the committee changes.
