Outlook Uncertain Auditor warns Russell Co Board.

This from the Times-Journal:

School board hears auditor’s report

Inadequate Funds Decline Further

Though there were none in the audience save school workers to hear it, the board received the Independent auditor’s report and recommendations, with predictions many would find unpleasant.

“State funding for these programs does not meet our needs as a district,” The report states. “Therefore local generated funds will have to address these areas. Also the uncertainty of state budgeted revenue projections may impact our funding…”

The report also noted that past growth in the budget’s local tax proceeds has been based on increased property values that were due in part to additional building...

...The governor had advised Kentucky agencies and departments to scale back by at least 12 percent and there are rumors of further cutbacks in state funding for all budgets.

No solutions were discussed at the meeting, though the report noted that the district is essentially limited to a 4 percent increase yearly in local tax revenue.

In previous years that increase has come from rising property values...

Mother Outraged Over Alleged School Bus Discipline

This from WKYT TV:

A Southern Kentucky mother is furious after she says her son was forced by a bus driver to walk behind the bus on the way to elementary school.

The mother, Tara Warriner, says her son was asked to get off of the bus for misbehaving on the way to school in Russell Springs. School officials say they've taken care of the situation, but Warriner says the driver needs further repercussions for making her 7 year old walk in the road for 5 minutes. The Russell County school superintendent says the boy did not have to walk at all.

"There was a minor discipline problem with a child on a school bus. The bus driver, in a repeated attempt to get the child to sit down, ask the child to step off the bus to get his attention, then the child was taken back home," said Superintendent Scott Pierce.

Warriner says this is the second time her son has been made to walk behind the bus, but school officials say they're not aware of an earlier incident.