Shocker

According to an article in today's News Herald, The Loudon County Board Of Education has miraculously and at the last minute found a way to fund transportation and sports for the next school year. The BOE had threatened to cut these programs if the Loudon County Commission did not give the board their massive budget increase request. The commission held firm to their refusal to give the BOE any additional money over last years funding.

Most people considered the BOE's threat to eliminate sports and bus service simply a threat in an attempt to force the commission to buckle to their financial demands. The commission held to their guns which has proven the BOE's threat was just a bluff. The BOE had consistently maintained that eliminating bus service would save the schools $300,000.00. Last year the BOE spent about a million dollars on bus service. No details were ever given on which schools would lose the bus service.

The BOE budget committee will recommend to the full board to take the needed funding from the general fund reserves. Last year the BOE closed the books with about 6.5 million in their general fund reserves. The BOE budget committee will also recommend to the full board to take $80,000.00 from the fund balance for lawn care.

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