EASLEY – Members of the school board voted unanimously last week to support a flexibility joint resolution filed in the S.C. House of Representatives.

The resolution would provide funding flexibility to school districts in the current and next year’s budget.

Primary sponsors of the resolution are representatives Phil Owens, Dan Cooper, Jim Stewart and Bill Whitmire.

The resolution calls for school districts and special schools to be able to transfer among appropriated state revenues, excluding lottery funds, as needed to ensure students are educated.

It also calls for the suspension of professional staffing ratios, permission to transfer funding categories, including capital funds from the Children’s Education Endowment Fund, and excluding funds requiring for debt service or bonded indebtedness.

Under the resolution, school districts would have permission to delay the date teacher contracts are issued from April 15 to May 15, and to negotiate salaries for retired teachers participating in the TERI program below the minimum salary requirements.

The resolution would also allow the districts, if specified in the contract or if they are legally authorized to do so, to furlough teachers for up to five non-instructional days – provided that the school and district administrators are furloughed for an equivalent number of days.

Districts would have to provide written quarterly reports of specific actions taken under the resolution.