School board to host public forums on next year’s budget

Two public forums are scheduled in the next two weeks for community members to learn more about the school district budget being developed by the Beaufort County Board of Education for the 2016-17 school year.

The first forum will be from 6 to 7 p.m. May 5 in Bluffton High School’s media center. The second will be from 6 to 7 p.m. May 9 in Battery Creek High School’s media center. Participants will have a chance to make comments and ask questions of school board members.

“Our goal is for the budget development process to be as open and transparent as possible,” said board chairwoman Mary Cordray. “We board members hope that our parents and taxpayers will follow the process and share their feedback with us.”

The board said it hopes to officially certify the district’s 2016-17 budget at its May 17 meeting at the Bluffton library. Beaufort County Council’s timeline calls for a third and final reading of the district’s budget on June 13.

This story was originally published April 29, 2016 at 10:10 AM with the headline "School board to host public forums on next year’s budget."