School budget committee meets about spending plan post Vision 2020

JACKSON, Tenn. — For some school board members, Tuesday’s budget meeting brought more questions than answers when it comes to money they thought would be saved once Vision 2020 was implemented.

“I looks like to me that the overwhelming majority of everything else is a result of schools getting bigger,” School Board Chairman Jim Campbell said.

According to the proposed budget changes for next school, the district will save about $2.6 million. That number was low for some school board members who expected a savings closer to $4 million.

“Just like we said in Vision 2020, it wasn’t to be able to save a big pot of money. It was to repurpose it for teaching and learning, and we believe people are going to be able to see that in our budget.” Superintendent Dr. Verna Ruffin said.

The proposed budget will add reading specialists and guidance clerks while also expanding the Pre-K program. It also proposes spending more than $200,000 for computer software for classrooms — things the teachers said they need.

“Because our teachers have long been asking for materials and resources to help them with teaching of students, so we believe we have included that in the budget as a repurpose of Vision 2020,” Ruffin said.

After an hour of discussion, school broad members asked the district to come back with a clear outline of Vision 2020 savings and how that money was used elsewhere before the district presents the budget to the County Commission in April.

“If it needs to be pointed out in more intentional ways, then we can certainly do that,” Ruffin said.

The proposed budget for the 2016-17 school year also includes a 3 percent salary increase across the district.

School officials expect to have a better layout of how money saved by Vision 2020 was repurposed at the next budget meeting on April 4.