Here’s how the days break down:
For Hall County school employees:
- Furlough days: Aug. 7 and Oct. 13. Half days, when staff will leave when students do, will take place Nov. 24 and Dec. 18.
- Total savings for the state: $1.8 million
For Gainesville school employees:
- Take all furlough days after winter break: Jan. 4, Jan. 5 and May 27. This would not affect students’ current schedule.
- Extend Thanksgiving break: take Nov. 23, Nov. 24 and May 27. Students would return to school Jan. 4 and 5 after winter break.
- Take Sept. 4, Dec. 18 and May 27. Students would return to school Jan. 4 and 5 after winter break.
- Savings for the state: $382,900 (for teachers and administrators only)
Following the state’s decision last month to cut another 3 percent from K-12 school districts and cut funding for three days for all school employees, Hall County and Gainesville school systems are pinpointing which days will be axed from employees’ work schedules.
School districts are not required to enact furlough days, but the state is cutting the sum of those days’ salaries from the districts’ funding. The state order will not change the number of days students spend in the classroom.
At the county school board meeting on Monday night, board members ticked off two full days and two half days to be used as furlough days. These days were originally on the district’s calendar as planning time set aside for teachers.
Gainesville’s board also discussed options for furlough days at its meeting on Monday. Parents and teachers can vote on which days they prefer on the school system’s Web site, www.gcssk12.net.
Also at Monday’s Hall County School Board meeting:
The board paved the way to take out a tax anticipation note of up to $9.9 million. The low-interest loan would allow the school board to borrow funds to pay November or December payrolls until property tax collections come in by late fall.