Newton Citizen

Photo by Howard Reed

COVINGTON - The Newton County Board of Education approved nearly $8.3 million in cuts to the general fund operating budget for the 2011-12 school year during its monthly work session Tuesday night.

Items included:

• Change high school scheduling to a seven-period day to include remediation or enrichment for students for $2,820,000 in savings.

• Contract with Ombudsman to provide a new model for alternative education in NCSS for $1,941,962 in savings. This would replace the current Sharp Alternative School program.

• Reorganize and reduce maintenance and custodial staffs for $954,000 in savings.

• Reduce the 1 percent board contribution to the 403(b) retirement plan for Teachers Retirement System employees to 0.5 percent for $422,000 in savings.

• Eliminate two assistant principal positions, one each at Newton and Alcovy High Schools, for $215,000 in savings and leaving each high school with four each.

• Reduce the number of school resource officers from 18 to 14, leaving three each at Alcovy and Newton high schools and two at Eastside for $171,428 in savings, as well as another from the Sharp program for an additional $42,857.

• Require a 10 percent cut in all central office budgets for $160,000 in savings.

• Combine the Newton College and Career Academy CEO and the director of Career, Technical and Agriculture Education positions for $65,000 in savings.

• The school board already has approved NCSS to implement a three-tier student transportation system for $1,477,441 in savings.

Return to www.newtoncitizen.com for updates.