“There is $225K allocated for education in the FY 2010-2011 budget. It will be up to the City Commission to determine how to allocate the dollars at the June 28 meeting,” City Manager Mike Walker explained. “Each school has made individual written requests for funding. … The funding must be used to enhance and supplement existing programs and cannot be used to fund ongoing core educational programs.”
 

However, given the current economic climate, nothing is guaranteed until the commission makes its final vote on the budget next month, Mayor Betsy Crossley noted. She explained that the current fiscal year has been difficult, “especially with the flooding and the poor economy. So, the budget for next year (FY 2010-11)  does not have any room for items that we do not consider priorities. 
 

“The final decision as to whether we will be giving the monies will be decided during the vote on June 28th when we approve the final budget.  It will come in the form of an amendment to the budget for discretionary funding on final vote along with funds for the Martin Center and the Chamber of Commerce,” she said.
 

At Monday night's City Commission meeting, Crossley reminded constituents that the Williamson County Commission is the funding board for the Williamson County Schools budget, which is paid for through county property taxes. She said any Brentwood citizens with questions about direct school funding should direct emails and calls to their county commissioners,  not the city commission

Late last week, Crossley did dispel rumors that Williamson County Schools would cut each of Brentwood’s schools’ budgets by the amount the city of Brentwood donated this year.
 

She said she had spoken directly with Director of Schools Dr. Mike Looney who assured her that “he was very appreciative that Brentwood could offer extra assistance to their students' schools and that he would not cut their budgets if we offered supplemental support.” 
 

Carson Swinford, the city’s finance director, shared copies of the individual schools’ requests. And request they did.
 

In past years, elementary schools have each received $10,000; middle schools $15,000;  and Brentwood and Ravenwood High Schools, $60,000.
 

All of the elementary and middle schools who turned in a request made sure its individual request matched those figures exactly. For example, Crockett Elementary would use its $10,000 donation for technology equipment and maintenance ($8,000) and science and math manipulative ($2,000). Edmondson Elementary would use the funds for “student response systems" -- a class set of individual student remote devices for students to submit answers electronically -- ($5,000), reading and math materials ($2,500) and technology upgrades ($2,500).
 

At Kenrose, principal Dr. Marilyn Webb has a wish list for art materials to support K-5 instruction ($350); instructional materials to support K-5 ($1,000 for each grade level, $6,000 total) and technology to support pre-K-fifth grade ($3,650).
 

Timothy Brown, who filled out Sunset Elementary’s “Description of Expenditure” got even more specific: $2,877 for a video format projector and screen for the gym plus installation costs, $500; a multimedia DLP project, $635; a P10s digital visual presenter, $5,373. And the rest? There’s $615 budgeted for teacher morale.
 

The middle schools are requesting funds for technology upgrades and instructional equipment;  Woodland Middle wants to update the non-fiction section of its library and to purchase eight color printers.
 

The high schools’ wish lists, however, shoot for the moon.
 

Kevin Keidel, principal of Brentwood High School, came up with $207,000 in possible expenditures. There’s $5,000 for band uniform replacement; $70,000 for teacher laptops; $12,000 for royalties and contract fees, etc. for the arts department; and money for the school’s Forensics program and money to cover the cost of academic competitions and fees. And that’s not even everything.
 

At Ravenwood, Dr. Pam Vaden’s wish list is a bit smaller but still comes in at $87,500. Topping it is a foreign language learning lab with a $50,000 price tag. Band instruments ($12,500) and a net system for volleyball ($8,000) almost fill the list.

The most intriguing item on Vaden’s list? A $17,000 expenditure for track runways. They are “necessary in order to host track meets,” she wrote.
 

The city’s FY 2010-11 budget is posted on the city web site. A public hearing, first reading and adoption of FY 2011 Appropriations and Tax Rate Ordinances took place Monday at the City Commission’s regular meeting. 

Scheduled on June 28 are a public hearing and second and final reading and adoption of the appropriations and tax rate ordinances, and by resolution, adoption of the six-year Capital Improvements Program, FY 2011 Classification and Pay Plan, and the FY 2011 Non-routine Work Plan.