Aiken County Schools Look to Slash $12 Million From Budget

Aiken, SC—$12 million…that’s how much the Aiken County School Board says will likely have to be cut.

Jim Newman, parent: “I don’t know exactly how they’re going about it. $12 million, that’s a lot of money.“

Jim Newman picks up his two favorite students from Gloverville Elementary, every day, wishing the economy would pick up, too.

Newman: “It’s just the way things are, I mean, people losing jobs all over, and the economy being bad, and tax money, it’s just not going as far as it used to.“

School board members say they now face tough choices: what…and perhaps who…to cut.

Parents want to know what their child’s classroom will look like.

James Wyndham, parent: “…if they’re going to have the books or computers they need in class, reading materials.“

Already, there are suggestions, like cutting supplies, saving $118, 000…increasing the pupil to teacher ratio, saves about $5 million…and district and department “reorganization” would cut out nearly $1.5 million.

William Trull, grandparent: “We get letters now from the school, needing help, financially; they need supplies in all the individual classes.“

With salaries being the bulk of the district’s budget, parents we spoke with say they’re concerned jobs will also be put on the chopping block.

Trull: “Definitely going to take some of the teachers out of the picture. We don’t have enough now, our classrooms are overloaded.“

Board members say, rather than lay off personnel, they are going to try to redistribute people….keeping job losses to a bare minimum.

Either way, board members do not deny, they have difficult decisions to make.

Newman: “They get a lot of blame for it, but it’s not necessarily their fault. I mean, we’re going to have to get something that works.“

Tuesday night’s board meeting will be at 7, at the Board of Education building, in Aiken. Parents are welcome to bring their questions. The final budget will be up for vote until June.