Dougherty School Board adopts FY 2018 budget

ALBANY — The Dougherty County School Board has adopted a $129 million spending plan for Fiscal year 2018, which begins Saturday.

At the final meeting with Butch Mosely as superintendent, the board on Wednesday unanimously adopted a consent agenda that including the budget for 2017-18.

The spending plan is about $2 million more than the school system’s budget for FY 2017, which ends Friday.

System Superintendent-designate and Chief Financial Officer Ken Dyer said much of the extra money comes from the state, with the funds earmarked for 2 percent raises for teachers, in addition to a 2 percent cost-of-living adjustment for teachers, bus drivers and food service workers.

“I think it’s a good budget and I am leaving on a high note,” Mosely said. “I don’t apologize for spending money, but I will apologize if we waste it.”

Board member James Bush made a motion to keep Mosely and outgoing assistant superintendent Jack Willis on the staff as consultants for the next six months at a pay rate to be determined. That vote also was unanimous.

Dyer then briefly touched on the the subject on the Albany High School closure and student realignment.

“We have managed to relocate all of the teachers at Albany High and now we are working on the school’s coaches,” Dyer said.

The system’s biggest concern, because of all the recent developments at Albany High and Southside Middle School, is that opening day on Aug. 1 goes as smoothly as possible.

“There are a lot of moving parts right now and it is critical we have most of the problems worked out before schools open,” Mosely said.

Bush also mentioned to Dyer in the pre-meeting briefing he would like to see the return of baseball to the middle schools. Dyer assured him that he and incoming athletic director Lea Henry would be putting together a plan.

“We used to have outstanding baseball programs in Albany,” Bush said. “When the middle school programs went away we now have kids playing that lack an understanding of the fundamentals of the game.

“I want that to change.”

Before the meeting Henry Mathis spoke before the board

“Anytime a school closes it is traumatic for a community,” Mathis said. “People tend to be attached to the brick and mortar.”

Mathis, however, was not talking about Albany High. He was talking about still-shuttered Dougherty Middle School.

“I would like for you to consider renaming Albany Middle School to Dougherty Middle School,” Mathis said.

The request received a cool reception from the board.

In an action item, the board approved a $1.3 million FF&E (Furniture, Fixture and Design) contract with J.W. Buckley and Associates for services connected to the Phase II renovation project at Monroe High School.

The FF&E will be purchased in two separate packages — one will include the new classroom wing and the new gym and auxiliary gym, and the second new classroom wings No. 1 and No. 3 and the auditorium wing.

The next meeting of the School Board is set for noon July 19.