Several components of the state funding formula have received no adjustments in the amount earned per student for 10 years. Allow school districts more flexibility in site-based school budgeting. Maintenance and Operations Provide more funding for maintenance and operations. Capital Outlay Provide additional funding for capital outlay projects for exceptional growth without penalizing counties with a higher tax base. Over 20,000 new homes have been zoned for Cherokee County.
Many schools are already above capacity and several are reaching the critical overcrowding stage.
Local fast growth school districts cannot keep pace with current and anticipated growth at the present levels of state and local funding, even with a local sales tax initiative. More realistic cost estimates per square foot should be used. Curriculum Provide legislative initiatives to make improving student academic achievement the top priority of state education policy. Allow more of the rigorous vocational courses to be counted as academic electives, e.g. computer applications. Expand the elementary foreign language program to all elementary schools.