Funding cuts lead school board to reduce $22.6M budget

The Terrebonne Parish School Board saw several reductions in its original Special Revenue Funds Budget for the 2007-08 year. The school board adopted the revised budget, a slight cut from the previously expected $22.6 million, on Nov. 20.

School officials continued to refigure the new total Monday.

At the regular school board meeting on Nov. 20, Finance and Insurance Committee Chairman Rickie Pitre informed board members about the budget adjustments that pertain to the No Child Left Behind title programs.

The NCLB Title II fund, which totals $1.8 million, is divided into two parts – Part A and B. Together, the fund has shown some decreases and some increases, according to Pitre.

In Part A, a Staff Development and Class Size Reduction grant has been received in the amount of $1.5 million. This grant is divided into two parts, the staff development side and the class-size reduction portion.

Pitre said the staff development fund, which is used for professional development of parish teachers, was increased by $58,167 to $378,483. The class size reduction fund was reduced by $61,626 to $1.2 million.

In Part B, the Enhancing Education through Technology (EETT) program decreased to $56,823. The prior budget was $57,873 with a carryover budget of $41,174 from 2006.

Pitre said the Terrebonne Parish School Board partnered with the Lafourche Parish School Board for the Part B Mathematics and Science Partnership (MSP), which provides tuition assistance to math and science teachers seeking certification.

According to Pitre, the total funds for the program are $25,855 for the 2008 school year.

The NCLB Title III budget, which funds the English/Language Arts program, was decreased $17,122 to $53,358.

No Child Left Behind Coordinator Carol Davis said, “The Title III funds are used for programs like the Limited English Proficiency program, which caters to non-English-speaking students. We used the fund to purchase material and supplies, as well as to hire a teacher to teach the students.”

According to Davis, the majority of the fund pays the salaries of four teachers. There are 350 LEP students in the district; the majority are Hispanic.

The Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities program, which is a part of the NCLB Title IV fund, was reduced $4,236 to $143,492. Davis said the program promotes a drug-free and safe environment for the students.

“We used the funds to pay for a safe school coordinator, who organizes activities at each of the schools,” Davis said. “The other portion of the funds are used to pay a stipend to one teacher at each school to conduct drug-free and safety activities for the students.”

According to Pitre, the schools received funds from the Children’s Coalition for the Bayou Region totaling $2,000 and from Louis St. Martin for the Red Ribbon Campaign in the amount of $2,274. The prior year’s donation of $800 was carried over.

The Title IV fund also has a new grant, Emergency Response and Crisis Management Grant, which has received $248,981 for the 2008 fiscal year.

“This grant helps to strengthen and improve the emergency response and crisis plans in the school district,” Pitre said.

The NCLB Title V budget was reduced by $10,521 to $32,636. Davis said this program is called the interactive program, which involves funds that are used for professional development of parish teachers.

School Board Member Roger Dale DeHart said the reduction in the budget is due to the lack of state and federal funding or lack of participation from the students. He said many of the programs are based on per-pupil allotments to be eligible for funds.

“If we don’t have the students participating in the program, we don’t get the funding,” he said.