Horry County Schools committee advances plan to save money, keep class sizes at current level

One week after one Horry County Schools committee voted to add two students to every middle and high school classroom over two years, another committee made a motion to keep classes at their current size.

Both motions will go to the full Board of Education during its regular meeting Monday. Officials have been debating ways to come up with $3 million to pay for the Personalized Digital Learning Program, debt repayments and other district expenses.

The finance committee met Wednesday to discuss an alternative way to save $3 million after the joint finance and human resources committee motioned last week to add two students to middle and high school classes over two years. The addition of one student would cut 41 teaching positions, which would save the district a little more than $3 million, according to John Gardner, chief financial officer.

John Poston, finance committee and board member, said increasing class size to save a few million would not be the best option for Horry County students.

“If you look at the last five years, our average is adding $11 million to our reserve every year,” Poston said. “Why are we talking about increasing class size to save $3 million, when we put $11 million in our reserves?”

The joint finance and human resources committee asked Gardner to find an option to save $3 million other than cutting teachers, and Gardner presented his findings to the finance committee Wednesday. The new plan, which would save the district $3.1 million over two years, would use current savings from instructional programs as well as money from state-funded allocations.

“What the executive cabinet would like to recommend is to not increase class size, but instead utilize savings from some funding shifts,” Gardner said.

The plan includes using “current year” savings of $1.1 million from the rehabilitative behavioral health services program. Using a $1.2 million state grant to pay for half of the district’s instructional coaches’ salary would save $1.2 million this year as well, Gardner said.

Next year, the district can take $800,000 from reading coach allocations – which is now partially funded through the state – and shift it into the general fund, which allows the district to save $3.1 million over two years, Gardner said.

“We don’t propose to hire new reading coaches,” he said. “So we have $3 million toward the bank.”

The motion to consider the district’s savings plan and refrain from adding students to classrooms passed 2-1, with committee member Jeffrey Garland dissenting. Garland said that when five new schools are built in the next two years, the district will have more faculty and therefore more expenses.

“What are we going to do next year?,” Garland asked. “We’re going to be back at this discussion a year from now.”

The joint finance and human resources committee motion adds two students to each class in middle and high schools over the next two years.

Principal representatives from middle and high schools told the district they would not want to increase class size; the executive cabinet – which includes Superintendent Rick Maxey, Darryl Brown, chief officer of support services; and Chief Officer of Human Resources Mary Anderson – also advised against adding students to the classroom.

Janet Graham, board and finance committee member, said she’d like to keep classes smaller if possible.

“Three million, in the scope of things, isn’t a lot of money,” she said, “and I’d like to see the positions kept if at all possible.”

The average class size for area middle schools is about 25 students, and the high school average ranges from 21 to 26, Gardner said. The larger schools, such as Carolina Forest High, usually have much larger classes than a small school such as Green Sea Floyds, he said.

Adding students to classes would cut some teachers from both middle and high schools. If increasing class size by just one student, Horry high schools will lose 24.5 positions – including three from area magnet schools – and middle schools will lose 16.5 positions, Gardner said.

Joe DeFeo, board chairman, said he has no problem adding students or keeping class sizes the same; as long as the board comes to a final vote soon. By putting off the decision to increase class size every year, costs continue to grow while no programs are cut, which is not sustainable, he said.

“We can handle these costs this year, but we can’t handle another $4 or $5 million next year, and the year after,” DeFeo said.

The board will consider both motions Monday.

This story was originally published December 9, 2015 at 5:13 PM with the headline "Horry County Schools committee advances plan to save money, keep class sizes at current level."