Bath School Board Trims Proposed Budget

WARM SPRINGS – The Bath County School Board held a budget work session Thursday, eliminating two items from the 2010-11 budget.

School board members voted to remove dual enrollment tuition from next year’s budget. Instead of the school system paying for these distance learning courses, that cost will now be absorbed by the student.

This measure is expected to save the school system about $21,000.

Also Thursday night, the school board voted to remove the cost of activity buses and shuttle buses during football games from next year’s budget.

This is expected to save the school system approximately $11,000.

Both of these measures were approved by 4-0 votes. School board member Barbara Waldeck did not attend Thursday’s session.

Meanwhile, Bath County school officials are anxiously awaiting concrete figures from the Virginia General Assembly as they continue to prepare next year’s budget.

“I certainly hope the legislators are able to complete the budget by the intended deadline,” Dr. David Smith, superintendent of Bath County Public Schools, said Friday morning. “Completing it by the deadline will give all Virginia localities the definite information about the school budgets that is desperately needed.”

Also Thursday night, the school board held a closed session but took no action following this closed meeting.

The school board will hold another budget work session Thursday with the possibility of voting to approve its fiscal year 2010-11 budget plan.