Hall County School Board presents $209 million budget

GAINESVILLE, GA - The Hall County School Board held its first budget hearing Monday night.<br /> <br /> The proposed $209,553,479 budget is larger than the fiscal year 2014 budget of slightly over $200 million.<br /> <br /> There will be two more meetings, both on June 23, to take public comment. One meeting is at 11 a.m. and the other at 6 p.m.<br /> <br /> One problem the board has faced in the last few years is an influx of students paired with a down-turning economy, which has forced classroom sizes to increase as teachers lose their jobs.<br /> <br /> Superintendent Will Schofield says the larger budget should be reason for optimism.<br /> <br /> "We're encouraged by the fiscal year 2015 budget," Schofield said. "But make no mistake, we aren't back in the days of 2008 yet."<br /> <br /> He says they're operating on about 2,000 more students and 10 million less dollars.<br /> <br /> GRADE PLAN ALTERED FOR DUAL-ENROLLMENT<br /> <br /> The board approved a plan that would increase the weight of grades in dual-enrollment classes to meet those of Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate classes.<br /> <br /> Now, students who take college-level academic or world language courses will have their grades weighted on a 5.0 scale, as opposed to 4.0.<br /> <br /> Within 45 days, Schofield said, the board will present a list of other college classes to be considered as part of this new grading scale.<br /> <br /> SCHOOL BUS DONATED TO HALL COUNTY COMMISSION<br /> <br /> A school bus that had been totaled in a wreck was declared "surplus" and donated to the Hall County Commission, who will in turn give it to the Hall County Sheriff's Office for use in SWAT team training.

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