The Shadow
The Alleghany County School Board, during a Monday meeting at Falling Spring Elementary School, approved a revised budget proposal for 2010-2011 that includes an additional $189,185 in state aid.
The $189,185, which came to the school division as a result of General Assembly action, will be set aside in next year’s budget as used as a safeguard against unanticipated future budget reductions from the state.
School officials had initially entertained ideas of using the money to restore cuts that are part of the 2010-2011 budget proposal. After seeking input from the Alleghany County Board of Supervisors, it was later decided to set the $189,195 aside in a school bus purchase account as a contingency fund. Plans to purchase two school buses will be postponed for one year.
The school board’s $28.3 million budget proposal is now in the hands of the board of supervisors. The school board is seeking level funding of $9.5 million from the county. The school board will have to make additional cuts to its budget if the county does not fully meet its request.
The school board has already made $1.7 million in cuts to deal with state federal and state funding reductions and enrollment loss.
Eleven teaching positions, five instructional support positions (aides) and an assistant principal (Mountain View Elementary School and Clifton Middle School) will be eliminated to deal with enrollment loss. Those cuts are designed to save $615,585.
Additional cuts in personnel include: Elimination of a school health counselor, $28,800; reducing a school psychologist to part-time status, $30,000; elimination of a part-time early childhood teacher, $21,187; reducing an occupational therapist contract by 10 days, $3,117; and eliminating a part-time speech teacher. Those cuts will save $102,369.
Cuts will also be made in classified-support positions. A secretary at Alleghany High School will be made part-time, saving $15,771. A secretarial position in the school board’s central office will be eliminated, saving $35,458.
Other spending reductions include: Athletic and academic stipends, $15,771; Virginia Retirement System contributions on salary supplements, $55,000; employee tutoring assistance (50 percent), $47,050; redial summer school, $24,065; Jackson River Technical Center (10 percent), $71,561; supplemental band equipment funding, $10,000; lowering the heating set point and raising the colling set point in buildings by 2 degrees, $35,000; eliminating renovations to Alleghany High School, $386,820; and a substitute custodian at the bus garage, $31,065.
“The budget process for this year has been unique, to say the least,” said Dr. Sarah Campbell, who is in her first year as school superintendent.
Campbell warned that the budget situation next year could grow even more dire due to the loss of federal stimulus money and economic conditions. The economy is placing a strain on state finances and could bring more funding reductions from the state.
“It’s going to get worse next year. I know that for a fact,” Campbell said.
In a move designed to implement programs to help offset some of the budget cuts, the school board voted to apply for a $155,000 grant to establish a 21st Century Learning Center at the Alleghany Highlands YMCA. Funding for the 21st Century Learning Centers are part of the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
Mary Jane Mutispaugh, director of instruction, said no local dollars will be required if the grant is awarded to the school system. The grants are awarded on a competitive basis. Poverty levels and a school division’s performance in No Child Left Behind’s adequate yearly progress benchmarks factor into awarding of grants.
Alleghany County plans to establish a learning center at the YMCA in Low Moor to serve students at Clifton Middle School. The learning center would provide students with tutoring and “enrichment activities” after school, Mutispaugh said.
The school division will learn about the status of its grant application in August. Approximately 33 grants will be awarded out of pool of approximately 100 applicants, Mutispaugh said.
In another money-saving measure, the board voted unanimously to switch the division’s health insurance plan to Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield Local Choice. The school board had been offering an Anthem Key Care plan.
Rob Carpenter, director of human resources, said switching to Local Choice will keep premiums level for the coming year. He said the school board was facing a 10.7 percent increase in premiums as a result of recent claims history.
“We are getting to a point where we have a lot of classified employees are working for health insurance,” Carpenter said.
Following a closed session, the board approved several personnel changes.
Mary Asma, Elizabeth Campbell, Jean Martin and Michael Martin were approved as substitute teachers. Danielle Dulaney was approved as a substitute teacher assistant.
Theresa Lyons, Eddie Tucker and Donnie Via were approved as substitute bus drivers. Steve Hepler was approved as a substitute custodian. Helena Catron, Myrna Harrison and Shelia Smith were approved as substitute cafeteria workers.
The board approved the retirements of Mary Putman, assistant principal at Clifton Middle School; Glenda Swearengin, teacher assistant at Alleghany High School; and Sandra Ross, teacher assistant at Mountain View Elementary. The retirements are effective June 30.
The board accepted the resignations Caralyn Keene, teacher at Clifton Middle School; Michelle Menefee, speech teacher; Jessica James, cafeteria worker; and Benton McCormick, custodian at Falling Spring Elementary.
