The new budget for the Barrow County School System was termed “the toughest we’ve ever had” by school officials.
The FY2010 budget, which was approved Tuesday night, will also have an impact on athletics in Barrow County for the upcoming 2009-2010 school year, superintendent Ron Saunders told the Barrow Journal recently.
“The only area that we have downsized so far is in travel for athletics,” Saunders said. “We started last year due to the high cost of fuel.”
During the time Barrow County and other school systems were dealing with the dramatic jump of fuel costs, bus transportation for sporting events became a concern.
“It usually takes five-six buses to transport a high school band to outside county games,” the superintendent said. “So we reduced which ones they would attend during football season.”
Previously, the Barrow County School System had transported middle school athletes to practice for track as well as other sports.
“We did not do that last year and I do not see us bringing that back up,” Saunders said.
Coaching supplements could also become a victim of the current, ongoing economic crisis.
“We are seriously looking at freezing the allotments for coaches where they are now and not putting in the percentage increase due to years of service,” Saunders said.
Coaches receive supplements along with their regular teaching pay.
