By AMY JONES / Associate Editor

COLUMBIANA — The Shelby County Board of Education approved an approximately $270 million budget for fiscal year 2010 during the Sept. 16 board meeting.

Gary McCombs, assistant superintendent of finance, said he felt the budget will adequately provide for all of Shelby County’s schools, even with a decrease in other funds.

“Our budget is a conservative budget. We have prepared for proration,” McCombs said. “We feel like we’ve prepared for the (fiscal year 2011) in the best possible manner. Each department head has prepared their budget, and we’ve worked together to meet the needs of Shelby County education.”

The three largest schools in Shelby County all have budgets of approximately $12 million apiece, with Pelham High School at about $12.8 million, Oak Mountain High School at approximately $12.3 million and Thompson High at just over $11.9 million.

During the meeting, board members also approved the purchase of property located adjacent to the Shelby County School System’s central office in Columbiana.

Deputy Superintendent John Wright said the system has leased the property for more than 15 years. The property has buildings used to house extra parts for computers and other technology, among other things, Wright said.

The property owners had informed the school system they would no longer allow the property to be leased, Wright said.

“It’s in our interest and in the board’s interest to purchase it,” he said. “It’ll give us some much-needed storage.”