“Proration.”

Jefferson County Board of Education member and Warrior resident Ronald Rhodes said the word with a sigh during the Jefferson County school system’s  public budget presentation on Tuesday.

According to board superintendent Dr. Phil Hammonds, it would be unknown if the 2010-2011 budget would include proration until sometime after October; however, the proposed budget, with a general fund of $258.9 million and $257.5 million in expenditures, has made room for it.

“It’s a very conservative budget, and we’ll have to be proactive to remain financially stable,” said Hammonds.

Two days later, on Thursday, Gov. Bob Riley increased proration from 7.5 percent to 9.5 percent in the state’s Education Trust Fund, which funds mostly public schools in kindergarten through twelfth grade. The increased proration means money to public schools will be cut by $113 million.

The fund is paid from sales taxes and state income tax, which have both fallen in the past couple of years.

Jefferson County Board of Education chief financial officer Sheila Jones said the school system could probably handle 1 percent proration, but any more could be a problem. Plus, the board is worried the state may order more budget cuts in the middle of the district’s fiscal year.

Hammonds said each percentage point of proration represents about $1.5 million.

“We’ve weathered the storm pretty well, actually,” said Jones.

She said the increased proration would cost the school system about $3 million, which would be covered by the board’s reserve fund of $56 million.

Hammonds and other board members are hoping the economy will have picked up by the time stimulus money runs dry. By this time next year, the board expects the school system to have $60.2 million in its general fund.

“There’s a lot of good things in the budget, too,” said Hammonds. Like last year, the school system will again be able to use local money to provide $525 for every county teacher to spend on their classrooms, a sum that totals at about $1.4 million. The state had to cut that funding.

Hammonds also said the system’s revenues are larger than its expenditures.

The budget year begins on Oct. 1 and ends on Sept. 30 of next year. The proposed budget was accepted unanimously by the board.

During their regular meeting following the budget meeting, the board:

• approved an agreement with the Birmingham Football Officials Association to provide officials for each home game for Bragg Middle School during the 2010-20111 school year/football season. The cost will be covered by the school’s football account.

• approved an agreement with Crystal Woods to provide beginning cheerleader and dance classes at Corner School for the Minor Community Education Zone. Compensation will be provided with a percentage of fees collected.c