The Cherokee County School District will spend more than $250,000 this summer to address damaged parking areas around schools.

Trustees voted unanimously at Tuesday's board meeting to resurface parking lots and repair potholes at 10 schools as part of next year's school budget. Those schools include Alma Elementary, Blacksburg Elementary, Blacksburg High, Cherokee Technology Center, Corinth Elementary, Ewing Middle and Granard Middle.

These schools have the biggest need for paving projects based on a wish list compiled by the district's maintenance department, superintendent Dr. Bill James said. The maintenance department will contract with a local paving company to perform the work.

"There were a number of schools who requested funding for paving projects in their budgets this year." James told school trustees. "There are potential safety hazards if we do not address the paving needs at these schools."

In some cases, ice storms have caused major damage that poses potential safety hazards for motorists picking up students.

The district will fund the projects from its budget reserves, which James said is

the only available funding source in next year's budget. The district expects to finish the current budget year with $5.3 million in reserve.

Finance director Jim Bridges noted the budget reserves are used to help the district meet expenses in the fall semester until property tax revenue arrives in January. The district has borrowed money from future tax collections over the past three years to help meet expenses later in the fall.

Trustees are expected to finalize next year's budget in June. The new fiscal year begins July 1.

"This is going to be a tight budget year," Bridges said. "The district has seen a

decline in our assessed property value for the past two years and will have to file a waiver with the state because local tax funds did not increase at the same rate as state funding." School trustees must still

make a decision on a couple of big-ticket items, including a proposed $400,000 Gaffney High track and a new design concept for improving the front of the high school.

James said the district will make a presentation to school

trustees soon on a "Virtual School" which would allow students to earn high school credits through Internet courses. There is a bill pending in the state Legislature regarding a pilot "Virtual School" project.