School Budget Crisis

The Carter County School System is facing a major budget shortfall for the 2012-2013 school year of about two million dollars. This shortfall was caused mainly by a drop in student enrollment, many of those students switching to Elizabethton City Schools. This drop in the student body caused a drop in tax revenues that are spilt between county and city schools. It also caused state support to drop, which is based on enrollment counts. The school board has already reduced that shortfall through the postponement of the purchase of new school buses and text books. They have also not replaced about six retiring teachers. They have even laid off several teachers from the four county high schools including an English teacher and a Biology teacher at Happy Valley, which could possibly cause an end to advanced versions of Biology in order to provide the state required regular Biology class. After all the cuts, the shortfall stands at over $800,000. The school board has requested the Carter County Commission to fund the rest. The funding of the request would mean property taxes would rise to about 37 cents per hundred dollars. If the commission does not provide the money it could mean the end of elementary and middle school art and music programs. The school board invites parents to the upcoming commission meetings on the topic on the next two Tuesdays at 5:15pm at the Carter County courthouse.