There will be a public meeting at the Demopolis City Schools Board of Education office Thursday, Aug. 18 at 9 a.m. The meeting will allow a committee to discuss the various federal programs in which the city schools participate as well as the proposed fiscal year 2012 federal programs’ consolidated budget.

“Every year this is a part of federal programs. It is letting this committee go over the needs of our student body,” Gina Johnston, coordinator of federal programs for DCS, said.

The committee consists of individuals from within the school system and throughout the community and is designed to determine which areas require the most assistance from federal dollars allocated to the school system.

“In that meeting, I will be giving the allocations of what we will be giving per federal monies and a summary of what the budget will be this coming school year.”

“It’s a pretty comprehensive group of people,” Johnston said of the body, whose mission takes into account attendance, test scores, behavioral issues and a number of other factors in its decisions.

The meeting, while designed for a committee of educational leaders and community members, is open to the public.

“Everyone is invited to attend,” Johnston said. “It is a way to let it be known how we are using federal monies and how it is affecting our students.”