In December 2009, the State Budget and Control Board cut the state’s budget 5% or $238 million dollars. That cut cost Laurens School District 56 over $200,000 and forced the district’s administration to make some hard choices.

One of the choices the administration had to make was to implement a furlough system. Staff members will take two furlough days if paid on the regular teacher salary schedule or administrative salary schedule of 190 days or more. Staff members will take four furlough days if paid on the administrative salary schedule, Manager Level 1 and above.

As well as furloughs, the district instituted a freeze on all hiring, a freeze on conference travel that is not tied to a grant, a freeze on purchase of non-essential materials and supplies and a freeze on the purchase of technology unless absolutely necessary. Other measures that District 56 implemented included an elimination of all summer programs.

As the General Assembly is currently beginning the process of laying out next year’s budget, the District 56 Board of Trustees unanimously passed a Resolution in a called meeting on Monday night calling on the legislature to support public schools and take a hard look at public school funding before making decisions that will affect school systems across the state. The Resolution was written by the South Carolina School Board Association and the South Carolina Association of School Administrators in coordination with local school districts.

According to District 56 Interim Superintendent Dr. David O’Shields, the current revenue stream for District 56 has dropped to the level it was in 1995 while expenditures remain at the 2010 level.

The Resolution not only condemns current legislation that hurts school districts including Act 388 and the Point of Sale Bill, but also makes suggestions about how to increase revenue including raising the cigarette tax and removing tax exemptions.