COVINGTON, Ga. - At its June 27 meeting, the Newton County School System (NCSS) Board of Education (BOE) adopted a budget for the 2017-2018 year. 

The NCSS’s revenues and expenditures are accounted for in eight separate funds. Each fund is used to account for specific kinds of revenues and expenses. Total expenditures across all eight funds are expected to be $224.7 million.

The largest of the eight funds is the “general fund.” Revenues from local property taxes and from state taxes as well as all expenses for normal maintenance and operation of the schools are accounted for in this fund. About 77.4 percent of all projected NCSS expenditures are budgeted in the general fund.

Total general fund revenues are expected to be $165.8 million, up 3.02 percent from last year. That number is based on no change to the property tax millage rate of 20 mills and is up mainly because of additional dollars from the state for teacher pay raises.

General fund expenses are projected to increase by 3.64 percent relative to last year, primarily because of an increase to the Teacher Retirement System contribution rate, increasing costs of health insurance, and a 2 percent pay raise for all employees.

In other action the BOE approved the hiring of Terrence Martin to serve as principal for Cousins Middle School as well as the following assistant principals: Lilli Burke, Newton College and Career Academy; Sabrina Grant, Veterans Memorial Middle School; Andrea Kinney, South Salem Elementary School; and Katrina Stanfield, Newton High School.

“Mr. Martin holds a bachelors of science in secondary education, masters in educational leadership and administration, and expects to earn his doctorate in educational leadership administration in August 2018,” Samantha Fuhrey, NCSS superintendent, said. “He has a myriad of education experiences which include: middle school business education teacher, high school assistant principal, high school principal, and associate superintendent. He currently works as a consultant with Northstar Educational Consulting in Atlanta.

The hiring of a custodian, two retirements, two releases, and nine resignations were approved for the current fiscal year. For next year, the BOE approved the hiring of 31 teachers, 13 paraprofessionals, and 16 staff members as well as 15 transfers.

It also approved several contracts for the 2017-2018 year as follows:

• Property and liability insurance coverage provided by the Georgia School Boards Association Risk Management Fund at a cost of $636,012;
• Pupil transportation management software from Tyler Technologies valued at $87,860;
• Student information system from K-12 Solutions Group valued at $171,588;
• Membership in the Griffin Regional Educational Service Agency at a cost of $192,920;
• 38 days of professional training from Flexible Creativity, Inc., for $136,500;
• Three curriculum and instructional software systems, for comprehensive student assessment management from Illuminate Education for $146,000; for online professional learning from School Improvement Network, LLC., $94,921; and for GradPoint an online digital and blended learning software from Pearson Education $172,499;
• Various items for the School Nutrition Program, including paper and cleaning products from Southeastern Paper Group valued at $779,103; beverages from Coca-Cola $80,000; maintenance of kitchen equipment from Commercial Appliance Parts and Service, Inc.,  $260,000; safety and sanitation chemicals, supplies, and training from Sanitech Systems, Inc., $41,998; software from Horizon Software $34,480; dairy products from Mayfield Dairy Farms, LLC., $705,000; and food from Gordon Food Service valued at $5.47 million;
• Three items for the Facilities Department, including waste disposal and recycling from Waste Management valued at $189,000; maintenance of intrusion detection systems from Banner Security Systems $92,238; and maintenance of HVAC control systems from Automated Logic Corporation $44,640.

The BOE also took the following actions.

• It awarded three contracts. One, valued at $177,051, was awarded to Peach State Construction Company for concrete work at East Newton and Livingston elementary schools as well as at the Service Center. The other two, with a total value of $127,230, were awarded to Bytespeed LLC and Dell Corporation for computers to support Career, Technical and Agricultural Education at six different schools.
• It approved a three-year contract and a 10-year agreement with the Newton County Board of Commissioners for school resource officers (SRO’s) and for cooperative use of recreational facilities, respectively. The first year cost of the SRO contract will be $945,205 with the cost for subsequent years adjusted for annual salary increases.
• Finally, the BOE approved evaluation instruments for non-certified employees and changed its October 2017 meeting date to Oct. 24.