TO THE EDITOR

We can’t wait! We can’t hesitate! We must cut back and consolidate!

According to the Georgia Department of Revenue, there has been a 105% per capita increase in the Lincoln County school taxes from 2000 to 2008. Lincoln County must cut back, especially with the upcoming budget short fall in the state of Georgia.

The plans approved for the new school facility included the middle and high school consolidating into the new building. Bonds were approved and issued on that basis. Since enrollment has decreased, and with no increase in enrollment in sight, how could so much space be needed?

One place cost reduction is a possibility is to stop all work on the old high school. There will no longer be a need for the old high school with the students moving into the new consolidated school. A vote was taken and bonds were approved on the basis that the middle and high schools would consolidate into the new facility.

We in Lincoln County can not afford to maintain two separate locations. With the state of the economy and the cutback of funds from the state, we will be lucky to keep our heads above water. We have no new citizens moving into Lincoln County and with the value of properties dropping because of the economy of the country, our county digest is and will be dropping. The citizens of Lincoln County can not afford higher taxes. Because of the projected increase in our school taxes, we must take drastic steps to ensure that there is not an excessive increase in the school taxes.

The overall teacher to administrator ratio in Lincoln County is 10 teachers to 1 administrator. The ratio for the state of Georgia is 13 teachers to 1 administrator. This equates to 2.3 more administrators for the Lincoln County schools of the same size in the state of Georgia.

The overall student to teacher ratio in Lincoln County is 12 students to 1 teacher. The ratio for the state of Georgia is 14 students to 1 teacher. With a student enrollment of 1,262 in the Lincoln County school system, this equates to 15 more teachers than the average school of the same size. The average cost per student in the Lincoln County school system is $1,224 higher than the average school of the same size in the state of Georgia.

We, the citizens of Lincoln County, must address this problem and get our county in line with the rest of the state of Georgia and the country. As a senior citizen, we can no longer afford to live in Lincoln County.

AL BEAN