Although the state budget has yet to be finalized, Superintendent Donnie Johnson stated that the county school system is not looking to eliminate any staff positions at the present time.

Johnson said the board of education is aware of some retirements within the system and is actually advertising the availability of other positions on a school Website. “I really am thankful for that,” Johnson said in reference to the system’s ability to retain its current workforce. “Our kids are our future and they deserve the best that we can get,” he continued. Rep. Cullie Tarleton, a member of the Education Conference Committee, said that “our public schools will be funded for full enrollment” for all students in the upcoming school year. This is done through Average Daily Membership funds which mean that every school system receives a fee for every child enrolled within that system, Tarleton explained. In terms of classroom size, Tarleton said that the original classroom size for grades kindergarten through third will be restored for the upcoming school year. This is not the case for grades fourth through twelfth as classroom size in those grades will increase by an average of two students. During a recent telephone interview with the Post, Tarleton elaborated on the current state of the revenue package. “The big unknown in all of this is how big will the revenue package be?” Tarleton said. “The governor said that we need $1.5 billion to restore classroom sizes and still be able to hang on to our teacher assistants. “Although I agree with her on this, unfortunately we don’t have the money to do it,” he said. Tarleton also explained that taxes would ultimately increase if the revenue package was allowed to approach the proposed amount. He also stated that proposed budget is not firm and that “it remains a very fluid situation.” In order for the budget to become finalized, the house, senate, and the governor’s proposed budgets have to reconciled, Tarleton said. He explained that the budget will be closer to finalization by the middle of this week. Continue to follow The Jefferson Post for updates pertaining to a finalized budget.