Montgomery school board unable to pass new budget

PIKE ROAD, AL (WSFA) - The Montgomery County Board of Education rejected a proposed budget for the 2018 Fiscal Year in a 4-3 vote in a special called meeting Thursday afternoon.

Prior to the vote, the board received three versions of the budget to review from CFOO Jason Taylor. Two of the versions of the proposed budget did not include the sale of Georgia Washington Middle School. Taylor stated he provided the alternate versions at the request of District 4 Board Member Mary Briers, who originally voted in favor of the sale but was later the swing vote striking down the budget that included it.

Due to the financial stakes presented with the two alternate budgets that exclude the sale, MPS Chief Education Officer Dr. Reginald Eggleston said he could only recommend the budget containing the sale to the board for a vote. According to the data presented by Taylor, the other two budgets either put MPS in a more than $4 million deficit or required the system to cut millions in vital funding.

There were heated exchanges among the board members leading up to the vote. Briers stated she felt the sale of Georgia Washington would be putting the interests of the Town of Pike Road before those of MPS' students and families.

"When I was the president of this board, I voted to close two schools in my own district," Briers said. "I have no problem casting my vote, no matter who the superintendent is. I truly feel this is not the right thing to do for Montgomery Public Schools."

A number of parents came to oppose the sale as well, saying they did not want their children displaced. However, Board Vice President Dr. Lesa Keith, a retired teacher, said the board needs to make a business decision and not lead with emotions if it wants to preserve faculty and the ability to serve students.

"We're elected not to just make emotional decisions," Keith said. "Sometimes we have to make those tough business decisions. The sale of Georgia Washington to Pike Road just makes perfect sense."

With the proposed budget failing to pass, Board President Robert Porterfield said this will give the board time to search for other sources of much needed revenue.

"Now we have time to go to out council members and commissioners and push for extra local funding," Porterfield said. "Right now, we are receiving the bare minimum in required local funding. That is the actual solution."

One issue board members agreed on is that community members should have had the opportunity to address the board with their concerns about the potential sale of Georgia Washington before the board voted to sell it earlier this month. Keith said the board was just made aware, on Tuesday, that it is required to hold two community meetings to hear concerns on this issue. On Tuesday, the board scheduled those for next Monday and Thursday. Now that the budget has not passed, people will have the opportunity to voice their concerns before a decision is made.

The meetings will be held on Monday at 6 p.m at Georgia Washington and Thursday at 6 p.m. at MPS' Professional Services Center.

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