Kelly Ullery said she’s hoping that many will be opened to the reasons behind school budget cuts at Thursday’s community-wide Parent Advisory Council Meeting at Lindale First Baptist Church at 4 p.m.

Ullery, who represents Floyd County Schools on State Superintendent John Barge’s Parent Advisory Council, will head the meeting at the church’s Christian Life Center located at 9 Grove Ave. She said she’s extended an invitation to Barge, but has not heard back from him on whether he’ll attend.

“The reason I’m holding this meeting is to reach as many people as possible and stop the budget cuts to our public schools,” she said.

During the meeting, she’ll seek to clarify factors behind events such as the Floyd County RIF that will axe 119 school system employees for next school year.

Ullery said it’s up to concerned taxpayers to contact legislators in order to turn things around for Georgia’s public schools.

“The state’s decreased funding is becoming a local burden and students will suffer,” she said. “We will stand together, move forward and fight for our children’s future to attend a proper public school.”

Ullery said she would provide 500 stamped and pre-addressed letters to local legislators to attendees at the meeting.

She said the drastic funding cuts affect taxpayers whether or not they have children in school.

“If you think this will not affect you, then we as Georgia citizens need to think again,” she said. “It will happen to other school systems slowly but surely, if it hasn’t already. We must speak out and expect our state leaders to fund the future of the state of Georgia.” 

Among the guests that will attend the meeting are Elizabeth Hopper, statewide outreach coordinator for EmpowerED as well as EmpowerEd Research Coordinator Jeanette Knazek.

Alan Essig, executive director of the Georgia Budget Policy Institute, is also slated to attend.

Ullery said she hopes people would leave the meeting fired up about state funding cuts with the intention to incite change.

“I want people to take away from this meeting that their voice has power like so many before us, but you must take the risk,” she said. “Talk without action is like a car without gas — it will get you nowhere. If we do not speak out now it may be too late next year.”