By ALICIA LEONARD
The Walton County School Board (WCSB) met in a special but quickly wrapped-up second session July 30. Approval of prior minutes, agreements, contracts, transportation, personnel recommendations, school handbooks and a public hearing to adopt a tentative budget and millage rate were on the agenda. A final public hearing on the budget and millage will be held Sept. 6.
Walton County School Board Chairman Dennis Wallace opened the meeting. All members were present for the meeting. Prior meeting minutes were approved unanimously after a few corrections. Walton County School Superintendent Carlene Anderson recommended the consent agenda for approval and the board approved unanimously. The action agenda was opened next and the board moved unanimously to open the public hearing on the tentative budget and millage proposal.
WCSB Chief Financial Officer Mary Hobbs presented the tentative millage and budget numbers to the board. Hobbs told the board that the proposed millage is less than the rolled-back rate by .94 percent, although the proposed rate is .0020 or two thousandths of a mill more than last year’s rate. The prior year was 5.011 and this year’s rate is 5.013, making this year’s rate .0020 mills more due to the capital outlay being rounded off from .898 to .900. There is no increase in taxes for property owners due to the numbers still being less than the rollback rate of 5.0601.
Hobbs then presented a proposed budget for the fiscal year of 2012-2013 of $92,934,000, which is $1,273,000 less than that of the prior year. Decreases were seen in general operating funds and capital projects.
The meeting was opened to public comments after Hobbs finished the presentation. With no comments, the board moved to vote on the proposed budget and mill rate with the millage vote drawing four ayes and one nay from board member Mark Davis. The budget was approved unanimously.
Personnel recommendations came before the board next with board member Sharon Roberts making clear that although one person on the personnel recommendations shared her last name, she was not related to or knew the person. Recommendations were approved unanimously.
School handbooks were next with Freeport, South Walton High School and post secondary Walton Career Development Center. Some confusion and discussion ensued as board member Faye Leddon had not received a copy for South Walton High School. After more discussion, the handbooks were approved with Leddon and Roberts voting nay and the final vote passing 3-2.
The next meeting for the board is scheduled Aug. 14 at 9 a.m. in the board room of the Tivoli Administrative Complex, 145 Park Street, Suite 3, DeFuniak Springs, FL. To see more on agendas, past meeting and future calander events, go to www.walton.k12.fl.us/board.