Director of Schools Mike Lowry attended Monday’s County Commission budget workshop to update commissioners on the school system’s budget and new programs to improve students’ performance.

“We are in sound financial condition,” Lowry said, “with the things we did last year, things we’re going to do this year and still have a fund balance.”

Lowry said the school system had “tightened the belt” to meet the tough economic times.

Currently the school system is expecting a $54,000 revenue loss in property taxes, $245,000 less in sales tax and $240,000 less in BEP money from the state.

Even with those cuts in revenue, Lowry estimated the school system would have a fund balance of $1,608,880.

“We feel very good about what we are doing,” he said. “We had to absorb some costs to have a fund balance like this.”

The School Board has a budget workshop at 5:30 p.m. Monday, July 28.

This year’s budget includes funding for the new Monroe Academy, which will be counted as a new high school in the school system. The Academy is for students who are at risk of not graduating and will serve about 40 students in its first year.

Lowry said priority would be given to seniors, but the Academy will be for students in grades nine through 12 at the three high schools. Students will be bussed to the Academy, which will be housed at the Central Office.

Freshman Academy

Also new this year is the Freshman Academy at Sweetwater High School. Under this new program, all the freshmen will be kept together during their first year in high school, rather than being integrated into classes with upper classmen.

“We are going to assume more ownership of these kids and help them,” said Lowry. “If they are behind we are going to get them on schedule.”

Lowry said research shows if a student gets behind his or her freshman year, it will only get worse each following year. The goal of the academy is to have all the students ready to begin their sophomore year.

“We’re all about finding ways for kids to be successful,” Lowry said.

mia.rhodarmer@advocateanddemocrat.com |337-7101.