By Jim Bequette, 521-0931
FACT ONE: Beaufort County School District (BCSD) HAS THE LOWEST MILLAGE RATE IN SOUTH CAROLINA AT 116.59 MILLS. COMPARE THIS TO RICHLAND COUNTY SCHOOLS (COLUMBIA) WHERE THE MILLAGE IS 284.4—MORE THAN TWICE AS HIGH.
FACT TWO: BCSD IS THE ONLY DISTRICT IN THE STATE THAT DOES NOT RECEIVE ANY EDUCATION FINANCE ACT (EFA) MONEY. RICHLAND COUNTY DISTRICTS RECEIVE $79 MILLION.
FACT THREE: THE COST OF LIVING FOR HOUSING AND UTILITIES IN BEAUFORT COUNTY IS THE HIGHEST IN THE STATE ACCORDING TO IRS STATISTICS RELEASED March 1, 2011. RICHLAND COUNTY COST OF LIVING IS 21% LOWER.
FACT FOUR: IN SPITE OF THE HIGHER COST OF LIVING, BCSD COST PER STUDENT OF $10,606 IS NOT THE HIGHEST IN THE STATE. SEVERAL DISTRICTS ARE HIGHER ACCORDING TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION OFFICIAL REPORT.
FACT FIVE: 2011 REVENUE WILL LIKELY BE SHORT OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL’s FINAL BUDGET FOR BCSD BY ABOUT $4.5 MILLION THUS REQUIRING USE OF EMERGENCY FUND BALANCE DOLLARS.
FACT SIX: FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS PLUS THE PROPOSED 2012 BUDGET, BCSDIS SERVING MORE STUDENTS WHILE REDUCING STAFF BY 169 POSITIONS. EDUCATION OF CHILDREN WILL BEGIN TO SUFFER.
FACT SEVEN: IN COMPARISON BEAUFORT COUNTY GOVERNMENT HAS ANNOUNCED ELIMINATING ONLY EIGHT ENGINEERING POSITIONS DURING THIS RECESSION.
FACT EIGHT: BCSD HAS NOT HAD A MILLAGE INCREASE IN THE PAST THREE YEARS WHILE ABSORBING THE OVERHEAD OF OPENING SIX NEW SCHOOL BUILDINGS, AND PAYING MORE THAN $2.0 MILLION PER YEAR TO THE CHARTER SCHOOL.
