GEORGETOWN, S.C. —  “I was hoping we could manage the upcoming budget without increasing class size or losing jobs but it’s not looking very good.”

That’s what Georgetown County School Board Chairman Jim Dumm said Thursday after learning State Sen. Ray Cleary will sustain a veto of a House bill that would have permitted the school district to use some borrowed construction funds for operational expenses.

Cleary’s decision, announced late Thursday, will kill the bill which was sponsored by state representatives Vida Miller and Carl Anderson at the urging of the local school board.

Sanford vetoed the measure Monday afternoon. Miller and Anderson voted to override his veto Thursday.

However, it takes two-thirds majority of the local Legislative Delegation to override. That means, in the Senate, Sen. Yancey McGill and Cleary have to be in agreement.

A vote on the matter by McGill and Cleary is expected today.

While McGill sided with Miller and Anderson, Cleary said he feels Sanford  made the right choice.

“That is  unfortunate. I am very disappointed,” Dumm said.

Cleary explains

In a letter explaining his decision, Cleary — who had been urged by County Republican Party Chairman Tom Swatzel to sustain the veto — said the school board never said they definitely needed the money left over from construction projects.

They wanted the option in case it is needed sometime during the 2010-11 school year.

Cleary noted  Dumm and Board member Benny Elliott both said the district “ probably could get by without the additional funding.”

Cleary said, as of Thursday, no one from the school board or the district contacted him asking him to support the measure.

 He said he is the one who made the calls to the board members he spoke to about the bill.

‘Funding is not critical’

“(That) suggests to me that this funding is not critical for the school district’s continuing operation,” Cleary said.

He echoed remarks made by Sanford when the veto took place that “it is very questionable to use public dollars borrowed for infrastructure for operations.”

Cleary also encourages “the School Board, teachers, parents and taxpayers to “stay in touch with the Legislative Delegation over the coming months as it is apparent that this issue, and others with regard to school funding, will be front and center for years to come as we dig out of our financial hole.”

He said tough budget decisions will need to be made by lawmakers and the school board, but those decisions should not betray the trust of taxpayers.

 He also said “all options will be on the table as we sort through these challenges in the upcoming year.”

In a letter Thursday to Cleary, Swatzel said, “We applaud your stand for county taxpayers and responsible fiscal policy by ensuring the county Board of Education does not engage in reckless operational deficit spending like Congress.”

By Scott Harper

sharper@gtowntimes.com

LETTER FROM SEN. RAY CLEARY:

Hopefully, the e-mails and misinformation may now somewhat come to an end with my decision to sustain the Governor’s veto for this year concerning the Georgetown School Board request. However, though I have made my decision regarding this year’s budget, I think it is important that everyone understand the facts.

First, this is not Federal Stimulus Money, which I did vote to accept last year.

Why would I want North Carolina to get federal monies that had a already printed for their teachers, which South Carolina taxpayers would have to pay back regardless? Also for residents in my district, I have never voted to reduce school spending. In fact, I recently  introduced an extra cigarette tax increase to provide 150 to 180 million dollars in extra education funding, but my proposal was narrowly defeated. So while I understand that some of you are upset that I have chosen to uphold the Governor’s veto, any suggestion that I am uncaring with regards to our children and teachers is without merit.              

I am truly concerned with our county’s education. And as tight as our budgets have been this year, it appears next year will only be worse: one billion additional dollars will not be enough to plug the hole in next year’s education budget. We are expected to lose over 600 million dollars that we currently receive in Federal funding (367 million for school districts - 144 million for Disabilities in Schools - 164 million for Title One). We will need 600 million more from the state just to return to 2008 levels.

First, Mr. James Dunn, Chairman of Georgetown County Schools, said that he supported the bill, but wished he had known about it earlier. Later, both he and Mr. Benny Elliott said that they probably could get by without the additional funding. In fact when a minority of School Board Members favoring the legislation asked Representative Miller, she thought that she was doing this on behalf of the entire School Board. She also believed that they would contact both Senator McGill and I to address their real needs.

At the time of this letter, neither Sen. McGill nor I have received a call, a note or a meeting request from anyone on the School Board or Administration, which suggests to me that this funding is not critical for the school district’s continuing operation.

As Governor Sanford has pointed out in his veto, it is very questionable to use public dollars borrowed for infrastructure to be used for operations. Some believe it may even be unconstitutional but at a minimum a violation of the public trust.

I would encourage the School Board, teachers, parents and taxpayers to stay in touch with Senator McGill, Representative Miller, Representative Anderson and me over the coming months as it is apparent that this issue, and others with regard to school funding, will be front and center for years to come as we dig out of our financial hole.

Tough decisions will have to made with regard to how we can provide our children with the education they deserve without betraying the trust of the taxpayers, or creating financial ruin and ALL options will be on the table as we sort through these challenges in the upcoming year.