On Tuesday evening, Superintendent of Elkin City Schools Dr. Steve Hall made his first budget presentation to the Surry County Board of Commissioners, outlining a series of steps his system has taken to cut costs, while asking the board for a slight increase in the supplemental school tax on Elkin residents.
Hall said the school system is in a transitional period and has seen increases in its enrollment that necessitated program cuts to make room for new students.
“I come from a common background and through that it’s given me some common sense. I won’t be as flashy as some but I’m transparent, a straight shooter, and I’m gonna’ tell you like it is,” he said.
He laid out for the board a series of changes that Elkin City Schools have undergone in order to streamline operations to reduce costs.
“In the last few months, we have ended our contract with Appalachian State University due to increased enrollment at the elementary school and the need for additional space. The 73 students at the academy currently will all return to Elkin City Schools in the fall.
Opened in August 2022, the Appalachian State University Academy at Elkin was one of nine lab schools but poor test scores and the need for more classroom space for the traditional elementary school led to the academy’s closure.
“Our Global Learning Academy was also closed for the upcoming school year, after a thorough review of program costs and learning that it was losing approximately $140,000, we knew it would be best to dissolve that program,” Hall explained.
The Global e-learning Academy was created for students who may need an alternative to in-person learning. Hall said in January the program had 56 students, 40 of whom were from out of district.
He feels with these changes the district is on the right track. “As you are aware we have been through a lot over the course of the past year. We have a new administration, a new chief finance officer, and we have navigated some unforeseen events. We are diligently working to ensure the focus shifts back to our children.”
“We have made additional small but noteworthy changes: absorbing positions through attrition and retirement, adjusting facility rental fees to be more in line with the surrounding school districts, we have curbed all non-essential spending. These are efforts to strengthen the financial security of ECS.”
In one of the more noteworthy moves the Elkin Board of Education is raising the tuition rates for students who live outside Surry County to attend the city schools. Currently charging $650 per out of county student, the system is raising that to $800.
Commissioner Bill Goins said, “I appreciate you working on the tuition. When I came on the board, I think we were at $200, so you’ve come a long way and I know that’s difficult.”
Hall also said the district was taking a hard look at capital improvements. “Our focus will be on our children and what our district needs to have in order to operate effectively and efficiently. After a thorough review we decided we will focus on only what we need while ensuring money is saved in the event there is an emergency or for an appropriate larger funded project down the road.”
He pointed to a need to resurface steps running between the middle and high schools on the uniquely situated campus of varying elevations; safety railings are also needed for the same steps. He said the budget request holds funds for general maintenance and supplies noting the total request for these items totals around $175,000.
“In fiscal year 2024 we received $1,280 per student and we ask to increase the $50, to $1,330... We understand the needs to use funds appropriately and now that we are at the ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund) funding cliff, Elkin and the other districts will feel the loss and that is why we humbly ask for our supplemental tax revenue be reinstated ... in order to combat the loss of that large revenue.”
Elkin City Schools Finance Officer Rachel Creasy explained that number had been cut from That tax is 12.6 cents to 11.6 cents and Hall sought its restoration to the previous amount.
For an administrator making his first budget pitch before the board of commissioners, he took some big swings and made solid contact as several of aspects of his proposal drew praise from the board.
Chairman Van Tucker said, “You have tackled several issues since last year at the budget presentation and you have made some significant changes. You’ve also made some administrative and curriculum changes that quite honestly it sounds like something I would have been fond of it I had been part of your process.”
Commissioner Eddie Harris had questions about student enrollment as it pertains to immigration issues at the southern border, an issue Harris has brought up in regard to issues from health care to the legal system.
Hall said, “When I arrived in October, I found that enrollment had increased 11% from August to early October. We had an influx of students from Central America and Vietnamese was also a big increase. Our teachers are doing a phenomenal job of taking those kids and trying to educate them the best way we can with what we have.”
He said enrollment was 1,308 students including those in pre-kindergarten classes; 893 of those students live in the county.
Harris asked if priority was being given to county residents who want to send their kids to Elkin schools. “I am elected to represent the people of Surry County and my first charge is for the citizens, taxpayers, and children of Surry County…The kids who live in the boundaries of the county should take precedence to over out of county students.”
There was no disagreement from Hall who said the process was under review. “I agree we need to take care of Surry folks first. I have found since being here that there had not really been any rhyme or reason as to who was admitted as who was not. I want to clean that up and I want to be fair to everybody.”
Board of Education Chair Dr. Richard Brinegar added, “You heard a lot of changes and a lot more are coming. I feel excited and proud... People want to come to Elkin and I like school choice because I think Elkin is a real good choice.”
On a personal note, Hall updated the board on his recovery from a serious car accident in early April. He is still healing from a pair of broken ribs and a sprained ankle but has been able to return to a nearly full schedule.
He said, “It’s good to be back in the saddle.” His wife is still recovering from her injuries including an impacted aorta and facial reconstruction; he praised his wife for her strength.
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