MARIETTA - Leaders of both of Cobb's school systems are not supportive of a bill before the state Senate that would limit districts' ability to furlough teachers.

Senate Bill 515, called the Educators Salary Protection Act, is co-sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock), whose district includes parts of Cobb.

The proposal would prohibit districts that have rainy-day funds equal to 6 percent or more of their annual budget from furloughing teachers. Instead, they would have to use those reserve funds to pay teachers for those days.

Cobb County School District's current budget is $882 million, and the district has $67 million (13 percent) in reserves.

Late Tuesday afternoon, Superintendent Fred Sanderson announced that teachers and staff could be furloughed up to six days as one way to cut $100 million out of the budget. The six-day furlough, Sanderson said, would save the district $19 million.

Lynnda Crowder-Eagle, the school board chairwoman, said she suspects the legislation would take away some control of the district.

"I have heard that that's being considered. My thoughts are that I think that's going to really take away local control," she said. "Once they understand how important that is to us, then I don't believe that that will likely go through. I'm hopeful that it won't."

Marietta City's budget is $78.9 million for fiscal year 2010, which ends June 30. The district has $14 million - or nearly 18 percent of its budget - in reserves.

Randy Weiner, the school board chairman in that district, absolutely opposes the bill.

"It would be irresponsible for us to run a reserve balance below 6 percent," Weiner said. A district needs cash on hand of at least one month's expenses in case of an emergency, he said - such as a mid-year budget cut from the state.

Marietta's reserves equal about two months' worth of expenses.

"It's wrong on all levels. Our voters elected us to run our system financially," Weiner said. Marietta has 7,800 students and 600 teachers in its 12 schools.

Since the school year began last fall, Gov. Sonny Perdue has told school districts to furlough teachers and staff for six days. Marietta district leaders chose to make staff take two days off without pay, and covered the balance of the shortfall.

"You reach a point where you cut your budget and it's nothing but personnel," Weiner said.

Sen. Rogers said the state has exhausted a reserve account of about $1.8 billion over the last two years. Most of the reserve funding went to education spending.

"Teachers deserve protection from additional furlough days when there is clearly the funds to pay them," Rogers said. "This bill is very simple. It simply requires the rainy day fund at the local level to be used for supporting teachers. Across the state, there is more than $1.2 billion sitting in local school system reserve funds. That money should be used to support Georgia teachers."

Education spending in Georgia increased 34 percent between 2004 and 2010. The fiscal-year 2004 budget included $8.59 billion for education spending, Rogers said, whereas in fiscal 2010, it was $11.47 billion.

The bill is before the Senate Rules Committee. Friday will be "Crossover Day" in the 2010 General Assembly session, the day by which bills must pass on a floor vote of at least one chamber to have a chance of becoming law this year.