BCSD ups donations to United Way campaign

Matthew Brown, The Union-Recorder, Milledgeville, Ga.
·3 min read

Mar. 30—Baldwin County schools raised $24,771.12 to support Heart of Georgia United Way for the 2022-23 school year, up from $23,647.30 the previous term.

Coordinators for the school district campaign were Mary Brown, Baldwin High School; Calvin Howard, Baldwin Success Academy; Sheba Nelson, Transportation; Dr. Runee Sallad, Georgia College Early College; Irene Autenrieth, Lakeview Academy; Charlotte Sills, Midway Hills Academy; Tara Burney, Midway Hills Primary; Amber Ivey, Oak Hill Middle School; Cynthia Mosley, Early Learning Center; Ginny Gray, Lakeview Primary; and the district coordinator Ola Scott-Little.

"I challenged our folks to exceed the goal from the previous year," said School Superintendent Dr. Noris Price at at a recent board of education meeting. "I charged all of our employees to help us raise more than we did in years before. You guys did it. All of that money stays in our community. It's to support the needs of the citizens of this community. It's a very worthy cause. I am very thankful to each of our employees who helped us raise this money, and our coordinators, because we couldn't do it without you."

Baldwin County's United Way of Central Georgia coordinator is Amber Morris.

"It does not go anywhere else," Morris reiterated about how these funds will be used after giving her own thanks to those involved. "It stays here to help the people who are in the most need. It truly shows you all have servant's hearts ... and want to help people in your community."

Lakeview Academy was the top fundraiser with $5,497 followed by Midway Hills Primary and Oak Hill Middle School.

Dr. Price said this was also a great learning opportunity in giving back and making a difference for Baldwin's students, and she said the parents had much to do with that lesson.

One action item of interest to all Baldwin students at this month's board meeting involved the water main break in February that caused cancellation of school on Feb. 13. The Board approved Dr. Price's recommendation that students will not have to make up that day later in the year.

"Normally, our students would have to make that up as well as staff," said Dr. Price. "Those who were able to work from home could work from home. Those who could not could either make it up or take leave. For the students, we would have to extend the school year, so I am recommending we do not require our students to make up that day."

The motion to not require a student make-up for Feb. 13 passed unanimously.

It will soon be new fiscal year budget time with the Baldwin County School District, but numbers for the current fiscal year are still trending in higher directions than in recent years.

Financial director Samantha Jenkins gave her report to the Board Tuesday, which showed an E-SPLOST collection of $730,030.21 for the past month, and required collections to meet the needs of E-SPLOST projects was $617,750. The balance sheet for February showed a general fund equity of $34.2 million, and being practically two-thirds through the current fiscal year the District has collected more than 71% of the budgeted revenue.

"For the month of February we collected $3.8 million. That gives us a total of $32.2 million," said Jenkins. "And we've expended $3.8 million in February for a total of $23.9 million giving us that fund balance of $34.2 million."

She said E-SPLOST collections took a "small dip" but is still higher than the same month last year. The total for the year is $6.4 million at an average of $809,726 per month.