The Cherokee County School District will hold a public hearing Monday for a school budget which is $6.1 million less than the previous year.

The hearing will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the district office regarding a proposed $56.1 million budget for the 2010-2011 school year. Last year’s school budget was $62.2 million on July 1 before the district received several mid-year state budget cuts.

The new school budget includes no tax increases nor employee raises and sharply reduces spending to close a $2.2 million deficit caused by a loss of state revenue.

All working retired employees will be paid a salary based on five years experience this coming school year. District figures show the average salary cut will be 28 percent for retired employees who choose to continue working in Cherokee County schools.

School districts statewide were funded at 1995 levels in the state budget approved by lawmakers this year.

After Monday’s hearing, school budget committee chairman Amanda Knowles said the board plans to vote on final approval of the new school budget. The budget takes effect July 1.

“I think in comparison to surrounding school districts we have done really well with balancing the budget this year,” Knowles said. “We owe it to the tireless efforts of (acting superintendent) Kim Bagwell and the district staff in finding ways we can do this without consolidating schools and sending teachers home.”

District figures estimate revenues at $55.1 million in the 2010-2011 school budget. The district plans to balance the budget by transferring $1 million from the school district’s 1-cent sales tax fund to offset state revenue shortfalls.

The school district has proposed hiring an outside company to handle its meals program.

Chartwells School Dining Services is scheduled to make a presentation at Monday’s school board meeting. Chartwells, a division of Charlotte-based Compass group, manages food service programs for more than 500 school districts nationwide.

Cherokee County Acting Superintendent Kim Bagwell has estimated the district could save $750,000 by hiring an outside company to run the food service program.

School cafeteria workers would not lose their jobs if an outside company were brought in to manage the district’s food service program. According to Bagwell, the cafeteria workers would become the food service company’s employees and continue working in schools.

In addition to voting on the budget, school trustees will meet in closed session at Monday’s meeting to discuss a contractual matter involving the superintendent position.

Bagwell was appointed in March to serve as acting superintendent for the remainder of the school year following the retirement of superintendent Dr. Bill James. With a new fiscal year starting on July 1, school trustees will discuss their plans at Monday’s meeting for the superintendent position this school year.