JMCSS meets to discuss the upcoming year’s budget

JACKSON, Tenn. — The Jackson-Madison County School System budget committee met Thursday to discuss a number of topics. The committee was able to discuss this past year’s budget and get ahead on planning the next one.

“The previous one was done in a period of hectic unknown, this one will have a little bit more predictability as far as what’s going to happen day to day so that’s the main thing,” vice chair and parliamentarian A.J. Massey said.

Massey says this year, they will be sending out a survey to the school level administration, central office staff, and school board to receive their input and review each school’s needs.

“Once that January, February time rolls around, we will be able to put all of those together, prioritize them, and be ready to roll out April, May with a preliminary budget and then hopefully mid year get that set in stone for the next year,” Massey says.

The committee also discussed sales tax and B.E.P. shortfalls.

“We have been asked to cut and we have quite a bit so we’re looking at finding a way with expenditures first of all to offset that,” Massey said.

Massey says first they are looking to make cuts in an equitable way that does not impact the students as much as possible, and second they will look at dipping into the fund balance.

“Fortunately revenues are up since all of this stuff has gone on. June and July numbers are up I think about 5 percent every month over month so that’s a good sign. We’re back and we’re building beyond what we were before the pandemic,” Massey says.

The committee then discussed bonuses for teachers and their assistants. Massey says it is of extreme importance and that the committee will sacrifice in other areas to make sure the employees are taken care of.

“This year has been so challenging for so many people and you think of the challenging job of a teacher everyday add on top of that the unknown of what the next week, maybe even the next hour, is going to hold,” Massey said.

Massey expressed his concern for the stress cyber education, in-person students, and health has on the teachers.

“We want to say thank you in anyway we can, and I hope we can do better in the future, but its something today,” Massey said.