State Reps. Jenny Horne, Annette Young and Sen. Mike Rose spoke to more than 100 citizens gathered at the Summerville High School auditorium Monday to discuss budget cuts to DD2 public schools.
DD2 Chief Financial Officer Allyson Duke gave an overview of district finances at the special Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) meeting, highlighting the $17 million in funding cuts during the last two years – $13 million state cuts, and $4 million local cuts.
“We have been pulling form everywhere to retain what we have,” Duke said. “Where the rubber meets the road is in the classroom. Legislators allowed flexibility in state funding.
“We’re the poorest of the large districts,” Duke said. DD2 spends $28 million less than the state average, has 325 students per administrator (state avg. is 239 to 1) and has some of the largest, most efficient schools. DD2 schools average 1,240 students per school; the state average is 617.
“We need to look at finding other revenue,” Duke said.
“There’s never anyone who fought as hard for education as Annette Young,” Young said. “Raising taxes is not one of the things you sent me to Columbia to do.”
“The General Assembly has never voted to mandate furloughs – the State Department of Education asked us to do that,” Horne said. “We think that’s a decision that needs to be made by the board of directors that governs the schools.”
Horne’s daughter attends Summerville Elementary and her other daughter begins next year.
“When Act 388 passed in 2007, it shifted financing school operations from home property tax to one cent sales tax,” Rose said. “The sales tax has gone down . . . We’ve lost $9.5 million in Dorchester District 2 in the last two years as a result of that policy.” Rose has grandchildren at SHS, SES and Rollings Middle.
Rose and Horne mentioned a four-day week to save money – a notion DD2 Superintendent Joe Pye has looked into and does not support. He found it would save only about $28,000 per year (not millions as expected) and would make school days unreasonably long, adding about an hour and a half, meaning middle school bus riders would get home after dark.
For the last portion of the meeting, citizens asked questions and made suggestions to the legislators. About 20 citizens spoke. Teachers and students said they are disappointed that Advanced Placement college prep courses are no longer offered and this will keep South Carolina education close to the bottom.
Some speakers opposed more taxes while others said they’d support higher taxes to save education. Duke answered one question by saying other districts have more money because their residents are willing to pay higher taxes, citing the Columbia area.
A Fort Dorchester High School teacher suggested a block schedule to make teaching six classes less frantic by having a better planning period. This year all district teachers have an additional class.
Many public commentators said big classes make it difficult to learn and many private school students are now in public schools.
A SHS sophomore suggested buses turn off their engines rather than idling at bus loops. He said this should save the district about $250,000 a year.
“We didn’t send you to the Statehouse to let our schools fall to pieces,” one citizen said.
The Dorchester District 2 School Board meeting, scheduled the same night, was shortened so its members could attend.
“I appreciate that these folks came out tonight,” Superintendent Pye said when PTSA President Tanya Robinson asked him to comment. “They all mean well for us. They’re not trying to hurt anybody and we’re not blaming anybody.
“What’s happened up to now, we can’t do anything about. All we can do is move forward . . . Nobody has any money, that’s the problem. We’ve been cut at every angle, every place. We’ve been told next year will be worse.”
Pye said DD2 is at the bottom financially but has been a top 10 performing district since he started working there in 1973.
“The purpose of the meeting tonight was to give awareness to our legislators as they begin to look at the new bills, laws, to look to see if they have to mandate something.”