County eyes massive cuts, millage rate hike

I try not to respond to this type of forum, but it seems necessary at a critical time like this. Let me say for the final record, and provable record I might add, that the Lamar county school board has decreased spending significantly every year for the last four years. Believe it or not, we even lowered Lamar's millage rate during this period. Now to the nitty gritty, if you will. We, as a board, have had state level cuts come our way like tornados through a trailer park. We have multiple issues to look at when this happens. First, it is possible to panic and start throwing millage rate language around. Though we look at this yearly, we also understand the economic situation surrounding all of the counties in this great state. Millage rate increases are always the last option. I am not interested in whether or not the uninformed believe this or not, it is simply the truth. We have the most incredible employees in the state. Each day teachers, administrators,custodians, nutrition workers, parapros, office personel,and many others take children of any race or economic background and do their very best to create a love for learning within them. It is almost impossible to do the miracles that occur each day in the classrooms of Lamar County schools. Every school must work efficiently to accomplish daily, weekly, even yearly goals. Thank you to all of the dedicated workers fighting the fight every day. Having said that, each year, we look at how we can survive this "economic earthquake," We look at reduction in salaries, benefits, furloughs, shorter school year, etc. No stone is left unturned. Each year, a dedicated central office staff bring us the results of hundreds of hours of hard work over the stove of missing state monies. You guys and gals are incredible. Thank you! We then take that and decide where we can cut without completely destroying the progress we've seen. There has been no year in which we did not cut our expenses in some degree and many times, painfully. Now we are faced with the assumption that we have tons of dollars to give to any entity we choose. We have a hard-working, intelligent, and solution seeking county commission. It is only normal for people to point fingers. I will not. The truth is that for every dollar we choose not to put toward our schools that the state, through equalization formulas, penalizes us the same or close to the same amount in state money. One dollar becomes two of loss immediately. We do not have tons of money that is not accounted for for use in our budget. We have labored over a five year plan. We want to look ahead to brighter days. We need to make it through to the other side, and we believe we have the plan to make it happen. We can't go on pretending to understand school finance and have discussions without facts. I am proud to be a part of this county, this school system, and this board. I will miss it terribly. Maybe if the critics could come through our clean schools to see incredible things happening, they would be a little more cautious about numbers they have never seen or dreams they have never had. Our school employees have a burden for children. Lamar's children do not come in neat little packages like lunchables. They come with snotty noses, abused bodies, unfriendly environments. Oh yes, there are the perfectly put together kids too. Wow! how do you do it Lamar schools? Bravo! I will fight for you!