OTHER EFFORTSThe Whitfield County Health Department also is partnering with Dalton City Schools to find ways to fund new nutrition, health and wellness programs, said Jennifer Moorer, spokeswoman for the North Georgia Health District.
With budget cuts behind them for the moment, officials with Dalton City Schools are turning to other city and county departments for cost-cutting help.
In an I-scratch-your-back-you-scratch-mine method of budget balancing, the school system is looking at ways to benefit the Dalton Police Department and Whitfield County Health Department after the two agencies agreed to help foot the bill for school resource officers and nurses, respectively.
“Everybody is working together to get through the next few years,” said Carol Shanahan, chief financial officer for city schools. “After that, I think it’s going to get better.”
Dalton’s public school system cut $5 million from the 2011 budget, Ms. Shanahan said. But after cutting the teachers’ contract and the school year by 10 days, officials still had to eliminate 60 positions.