Dorchester County Schools Waiting on More Sequester Details from the State

While the Washington politicians are busy posturing over the looming cuts that will take effect on Friday if the budget sequester bill is not averted local school officials are busy waiting for more details from state officials.

Dorchester County School District 2 Chief Financial Officer Allyson Duke told the school board Monday night that district officials are waiting to hear specifics of how the cut to federal funds will affect schools on the local level. Duke told the board to be ready for losing as much as 5 percent of the funding they would otherwise expect from various federal programs if a compromise to avert the sequester is not reached by Friday, March 1.

"It's important to note that we are talking about funding for next school year, not this current year," DCSD2 spokesperson Pat Raynor said.

The 2013-14 school year begins in July.

South Carolina Department of Education spokesperson Jay Ragley appeared on WIS TV in Columbia recently to discuss the potential impacts the budget sequester could have on South Carolina schools. He focused on cuts to Title 1 funding that will be felt across the state primarily at schools with high proportions of students living in poverty.