A large crowd turned out for a forum to question Cherokee County's state legislative delegation about how the budget shortfall will affect public education.

The Woodstock Middle School PTSA hosted the forum on Monday night at Woodstock High School. It drew close to 70 people including not only parents, but also school board Chairwoman Debi Radcliff, member Janet Read and Cherokee County School District personnel and teachers.

The forum was conducted in light of state legislators seeking to fill an estimated $2.4-billion budget gap for fiscal year 2011.

Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock) said the outlook is dismal, as he's never witnessed 21 straight months of declining revenue.

"We are in unchartered territory," he said.

Rogers found himself on the defensive when parents began to question his support of legislation that would expand the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship.

The original legislation allows special needs children who were enrolled in a public school during the previous school year to transfer to another public school or receive vouchers to attend a state-approved private school.

Rogers is sponsoring legislation that would expand that opportunity to children of parents serving in the military and to children in the foster care system.

They also questioned Rogers' support of House Bill 1133, which allows private citizens and corporations to redirect money to state-approved scholarship organizations, which in turn allows public school students to transfer to private schools.

Private citizens and corporations receive income-tax credits by donating money to one of 10 state-approved scholarship organizations. These organizations then provide scholarships to parents who wish to transfer their children from a public school to an accredited private school.

One parent, Angie Clark of Woodstock, criticized the bills as taking money from public schools.

"Don't make me go home school my kid because you won't give public schools the time, the money and the effort it deserves," she said, adding that many can't afford to send their children to private or home schools even with vouchers.

Rogers defended the legislation, saying if kids and parents are provided with choice, then "it's a good thing."

"I make enemies with this, but it's in my heart," he said.

Ms. Clark and other parents also questioned proposed legislation that would tie teacher pay to student performance, not in the number of years on the job or the teacher's education level.

Rep. Sean Jerguson (R-Holly Springs) said the concept of merit pay sounds nice, but added "he would not support the governor's bill."

Rep. Mark Hamilton (R-Cumming), who represents portions of Cherokee and Forysth counties, also said merit pay "has a great sound" to it in concept.

"But I think it'll be very difficult to do in the legislative process," he said.

While the legislators said they understood parents' frustrations, they are working to make sure public education does not suffer from deep cuts.

Jerguson said he was unsure of how deep the cuts to education will go, but promised that "every single stone" will be turned over so education funds would be preserved.

Hamilton said legislators are "really trying to do the right thing." Education, when compared other agencies, has suffered the least when it comes to budget cuts, he added.

"We're very proud to say that education continues to be the least affected with cuts."

Hamilton also shared a suggestion for the Cherokee County School District to save money. The Forsyth County school district has adopted Educational Excellence, known as IE2. This, he said, allows school systems more freedom to bypass government red tape and state mandates in exchange for more accountability of student achievement. Hamilton said Forsyth has saved nearly $900,000 as a result.

"There are some options out there," Hamilton said.

He said the Cherokee district could also save money by not participating in the U.S. Department of Education's "Race To The Top" stimulus fund program, which he said in the long run could end up costing school systems.

Parent Kiersten Dick of Woodstock asked how the "local fair share" system worked, and if it was fair to Cherokee go be what's called a "donor county."

"Local fair share" is the amount of mills from a district's property tax millage rate that goes directly to the state and then is redistributed statewide. Cherokee pays 5 of its 18.85 mills into the state.

Rogers said he would like to get rid of this system, which he described as a "Robin Hood scheme," as wealthier areas often end up paying more into the system than they get back.

"We all hate it," he added.

Mrs. Radcliff during the forum warned parents that if the state budget is cut, the only way to maintain current levels of service in classrooms may be a property tax increase.

"You all have to know... that it's entirely possible," she said. "But, people in the community need to know that the school board is working hard to prevent more cuts in the classroom."

Woodstock Middle PTSA Treasurer Jayne Woodyard said she was not only pleased with the turnout, but with the forum overall.

"It went as well as I thought it would," she said, adding she would have liked to have more questions answered by the legislators.

Parent Lisa Blankenship of Woodstock said she was satisfied with the legislators' answers.

The parent of a kindergartner and second-grader at Johnston Elementary, Mrs. Blankenship said she thinks the legislators are working hard to making sure education doesn't suffer from severe cuts.

"I agree that they are looking at trying to solve the funding issue," she said.