Funding education is always a challenge. With the state legislature approving a $7.1 billion Education Trust Fund (ETF) budget, teachers will be getting a 4 percent raise for teachers and “notable increases to several educational programs,” according to a Montgomery Advertiser article published in May.

When it comes to Selma, while the system will be working with $428,011.23 less in revenue, they were able to bring expenditures down $538,699.22 in the coming fiscal year.

Running a school system is important work. It is the part of our society that continues to produce hard working people that are educated and able to function in society.

In the past, it has often been overlooked even though it is one of the most important parts of a thriving society.

Dallas County schools begin their budget hearings this week, and the issues that all rural school systems face with families leaving and taking the funding with them.

Having to do more with less is a challenge and one that families face in our area and so do our school systems.

It is no easy job to continue to educate our students and keep up with the systems that are doing better.

There have been many advances such as the STEAM academy at R.B. Hudson Middle School and the programs in the county system such as the Robotics Team that allows students to learn about new technology and helping them find their interests in different ways.

The hard work these two systems do will pay off in the end and will produce quality students even though they might have to work with less. The hard work all the employees, teachers and staff put into their job will pay off in the end and we in the county should be glad to have dedicated people in our education system.