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Caroline eyes higher taxes to fund schools

Caroline supervisors to advertise 8-cent tax increase to help fund school needs

By ROB DAVIS

Date published: 3/25/2004

Caroline County's School Board wants to create 19 new positions. The Sheriff's Office wants to beef up drug enforcement. The planning office wants a new planner.

As supervisors review their 2004-05 budget, they're faced with every department asking for more. The problem, county officials say, is that there isn't enough money to cover all those requests.

But to help bridge the gap with schools--and other departments--supervisors are advertising an 8-cent increase in the real-estate tax rate, a penny more than was recommended in County Administrator Percy Ashcraft's proposed $55.8 million budget.

No request is larger than the School Board's. It seeks a $1.9 million increase from the county. Ashcraft's budget proposes a $265,000 increase over the $8.7 million the county provided this year.

One by one, teachers came before supervisors Tuesday night to make pleas to close that gap.

They read inspirational quotes from Walt Disney, spoke of the rewards of the job and received applause from an audience of more than 120.

But they delivered stern news. They reminded supervisors that salaries for teachers with 15 years experience rank Caroline 62nd out of 132 school systems in the state and that being competitive will cost money.

"It is imperative that our school system keep pace with the growth of our county," said Debbie Ballard, a second-grade teacher at Ladysmith Primary.

Superintendent Stanley Jones summed up his position succinctly: "Employees deserve an increase in pay."

Supervisors say they are sensitive to the schools' budget needs. But Chairman Calvin Taylor Sr. reminded teachers that 40 percent of Caroline residents are retirees who already struggle to pay taxes.

Meeting the school request would require a 14-cent real estate tax increase, he said.

"Funding education is the greatest thing we do," said Taylor, assistant principal at Caroline Middle.

Some supervisors later said in interviews that they are optimistic of increasing funding to schools, but don't expect a full match.

The school request is a reason the county is advertising the 8-cent real-estate tax increase, Supervisor Floyd Thomas said. It would boost the rate from 72.5 cents per $100 assessed value to 80.5 cents and add more than $80 to the annual tax bill of a $100,000 home.

It is now up to supervisors to decide how much the School Board gets. But it's up to the School Board to decide what to do with it.

Supervisor Wayne Acors said he wants teacher salaries to be a priority. The School Board's current proposal calls for a 2.5 percent increase in the salary scale and a 1.2 percent bump for merit pay raises.

"I really, really, really want to see the teacher salaries increased," Acors said. "Without question, I want to see that done."

Supervisors will hold a work session with School Board members next Thursday; a budget public hearing is scheduled for April 13.

To reach ROB DAVIS: 540/374-5418 rdavis@freelancestar.com

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Date published: 3/25/2004