Schools seek sales-tax increase

FRANKLIN COUNTY - The Franklin County school system, in a $3.5 million deficit from two years of state proration, requested a 1-cent sales tax increase at the county commission's Monday work session.

Gary Williams, Franklin County superintendent, requested the commissioners call an emergency meeting to consider the sales tax increase, but the commissioners declined the request. Work sessions, by their nature, do not include pending votes. The Franklin County Commission will next meet at 8 a.m. Nov. 16.

Williams said the fiscal status of the school system is in "the worst financial crisis in its history."

The Russellville Council has already deadlocked three times over a 1-cent sales tax increase meant to boost the coffers of the city and the city school system.

Williams said he is certain the city will pass the 1-cent sales tax, contrary to the three-time deadlock, which would make the county's efforts to pass a similar tax even more difficult.

Williams requested the tax increase to be effective immediately and to come up for a June referendum to be passed as permanent.

Commission Chairman Barry Moore said that he was going to wait until county attorney Roger Bedford determined the legality of the proposed plan. Williams hoped the commission might meet before the Monday meeting, but Moore didn't give a time when or if the 1-cent sales tax proposal would come up for a vote.

The potential county and city sales tax increase, if passed, would make Franklin County jump from the lowest regional sales tax to the highest, at 10 percent.

The current 8-cent sales tax breaks down to 1-cent for the county, 3 cents for the city and 4 cents for the state. The city school system would also benefit if the county passed the sales tax increase because the county gives 58.04 percent of the funds to county schools and 41.96 percent to the city schools.

Critics of Russellville's similar tax say that with unemployment hovering around 12.5 percent, now is the wrong time to hit people with more financial hardship.

"There's nothing we can do about the condition of the state, but there is something we can do here," Williams told the commissioners who were joined in an over-capacity crowd of more than 75 teachers and administrators.

Statewide proration is in its second year, stripping school districts of millions of dollars.

Williams presented figures that the county schools lost $3.2 million during the past two years from proration.

Three years ago, the school started making cuts, Williams said, including eliminating 11 teaching units even as enrollment increased 7.4 percent to 3,238 students.

Other cuts included eliminating the Belgreen High School music program, consolidation of five bus routes, having the assistant principals at Phil Campbell and Red Bay High Schools to teach half days and employed a part-time rather than full-time curriculum coordinator.

"We have almost no flexibility," Williams said. "Most of our costs are regulated by the state and all local funding is already obligated.

"Given the current financial condition, we will not be able to prevent a negative impact."

Trevor Stokes can be reached at 740-5728 or trevor.stokes@TimesDaily.com.