Loudon schools cut $800K

The Loudon County school board cut its 2009-10 budget by about $800,000 Thursday night following a county commission mandate earlier this week that required school officials to bring in a balanced budget.

[Professor Wiggly]

It would seem that if the school board had done its job and begun working on the budget in the spring they could have have created accurate estimates of most expenses.

I think Van Shaver was right. It would be hard to tell how much more money was overestimated unless the board had the chance to line item the budget.

The board makes it seem as if they didn't have enough time to do this when in fact they wasted all spring and summer and didn't even start the process until the fall.

[TippyTom]

Can someone please tell me why it is ok for a school administrator to be supervising their own spouse?

Just askin....

[Professor Wiggly]

Why is it OK for school board members to be voting on raises for their spouse?

Why was it Ok for a school administrator to date another school administrator to who that person reported directly?

You can find such contradictions in character and ethics all over the Loudon County school system.

One of the reasons the school department spends so much money and gets such poor results is that about half its employees got their jobs through nepotism and they keep their jobs and get promoted the same way.

Of course this kind of thing happens in many organizations and the other employees usually pick up the slack. When it gets to be about half the system, however, it really has a negative effect on the performance of the entire system.

Some of the school administrators say they want more money to be able to recruit better teachers. the truth is, they could start recruiting better teachers tomorrow if they wanted to give jobs to the most qualified applicants.

[Embarrassed]

Will someone please help me understand. Did the educators deliberately try to deceive the public when they presented their budget asking for money for raises and textbooks...when in fact, the textbooks were covered elsewhere in the budget? If that is the case, then I believe we have a much bigger problem even than old worn out buildings, outdated textbooks or lack of cotton balls and bandaids. If the people who are placed in charge of teaching our children are willing to deceive to get what they want, what are they teaching our children? All the money/raises in the world thrown at people like that will not change their integrity. Loudon County taxpayers...we have a problem!

A Concerned Citizen

[Upset Mom]

We could get better results if more parents had the courage to stand up and say enough is enough. I demand excellence for my child and I question everything, but it cannot be done alone and until more people get involved, the status quo will prevail.

Friends/family should not be supervising other friends or family...the bond is too tight and everyone looks the other way, so if you see something that doesn't sit right....speak up, for heaven's sake! We need to get past the attitude that "I'm only one person, what can I do?". Shout it from the roof top, demand more and expect no less!

[Intrigued]

Which school are you talking about and give more specifics? There are 12 schools in the county and I would like to know details!

[CountryGal]

Intrigued wrote:

Which school are you talking about and give more specifics? There are 12 schools in the county and I would like to know details!

The school board approved a new Fort Loudoun Middle School & a new pre-K - 12 school for Greenback are the two schools in phase 1.