The Shadow
WARM SPRINGS – The Bath County Board of Supervisors is suggesting that the school board re-examine its budget in an effort to find funding to restore personnel adversely affected by budget cuts.
Supervisors and the school board held a joint meeting on the 2010-11 fiscal year budget Tuesday night.
The school board adopted an $8.7 million budget last week that reflects an overall decrease in funding of 6.27 percent. This $584,453 decrease is due to the loss of state and federal funding.
“A local appropriation of less than level funding would further reduce the total budget,” said Sue Hirsh, director of instruction and personnel for Bath County Public Schools, who made a budget presentation to supervisors Tuesday night.
Hirsh was representing the schools in the absence of Superintendent Dr. David Smith, who is participating in an educational leadership opportunity abroad.
The budget includes the reduction of a total of 6.15 full-time equivalents, reflecting seven individuals, Hirsh explained. She added that cuts have been made across administrative, instructional, clerical, operations and maintenance and technology categories.
Hirsh added that another 1.5 full-time equivalent was cut due to a retirement and a teacher’s request.
In the 2010-11 budget, contracts for aides and computer lab managers have been reduced from 200 days to 182 days.
“The elimination of classified positions and the contract length reduction for aides are aligned with state requests regarding support staff,” Hirsh said.
The budget reflects a 10 percent reduction to instructional teaching materials and equipment, Hirsh explained. She added that the operations and maintenance portions of the budget include “more realistic utility cost estimates than the previous or current year.”
“Current economic conditions have required the school board to make difficult decisions, and likewise, you, too, may not be able to avoid making other difficult decisions,” Hirsh said. “Your fair consideration of the school board budget will be appreciated as Bath County Public Schools strive to provide the best possible educational opportunities for all of its students – pre-K through 12.”
Joyce Hevener, who cast the lone dissenting vote when the school board approved its budget last week, said these seven positions affected by budget cuts represent “people who are important to our children and their educations.”
She added that 16 aides will be losing 18 days of work per year.
Hevener asked supervisors to consider an increase to the 1 percent meals tax that was recently implemented or a real estate increase to offset cuts to the school budget.
“The schools are the most important thing in Bath County,” Hevener said. “Some people don’t believe that; I do believe that. Our children are the most important thing that we have.”
Hevener said that restoring $132,000 to the budget for schools would save these positions.
“Give us enough that we can keep some of these positions that we are looking at cutting,” Hevener said.
Hevener’s colleague, school board member Barbara Waldeck, said this was the third consecutive year that school employees would not receive a raise. She also spoke in favor of restoring positions affected by cuts in next year’s budget.
“Those are my people,” Waldeck said. “I feel with all of my being that all my people are not being treated fairly.
“Folks, we need our aides 200 days,” Waldeck added. “We need that money back.”
School board member Dreama Burns concurred with Waldeck’s comments.
“What they do is invaluable for our schools,” Burns said. “Hopefully, we can work something out for them.”
“The principals of the (three) schools – the elementary schools and the high school – objected to these cuts, and they told the board they didn’t know what they would do without these people,” Hevener said.
Eddie Ryder, chairman of the school board, said he understands that both boards face difficult decisions.
“We made cuts to a certain level, and we worked real hard to make these cuts where it makes the least impact on the classroom and the education of our kids,” Ryder said.
Supervisors fielded comments from numerous Bath County Public Schools staff members who spoke of the importance of school aides and the assistant principal’s post at Bath County High School.
They also fielded a pair of petitions. The first was signed by 12 paraprofessionals at Millboro Elementary School who questioned whether or not a 9 percent pay decrease for aides is a fair solution to budget problems.
The second was signed by MES staff who suggested that a 1 percent pay cut or perhaps a $300 per year cut for each employee would help offset budget difficulties. This petition contained 17 signatures.
Supervisors also offered some suggestions to the school board. They suggested cuts in administration and salaries in the central office, dual enrollment cuts, transportation to Dabney S. Lancaster Community College and activity buses. Equal cuts in salaries across the board was also suggested.
Supervisor Carol Hardbarger said an increase to the meals tax was not feasible at this time, while Chairman Stuart Hall said a real estate tax hike was “out of the question” at this time due to the tough economic times currently facing all Bath County residents.
“I have no intention or desire to cut staff from the Bath County School System,” Supervisor Richard Byrd said. “I don’t think it is a good time to cut back on education, even if the economy is bad.”
Byrd added that the school budget reflects a loss of $143,000 in state funding and a loss of $435,500 in federal funds. He said federal stimulus money was contained in this year’s budget, but that money will not be available next fiscal year.
“I really hope that we can work together to find some ways to put some money back,” Hardbarger said.
The school budget includes a 9 percent increase in health care costs, but supervisors said Tuesday night that increase might be inflated.
Supervisors are scheduled to meet with their insurance representatives in the near future, and if insurance costs don’t increase as expected, the school board could realize a savings in that category.
Supervisor Jon Trees suggested a special school board meeting to “revisit some of the things that you have heard here tonight.”
“I really think it would be in the best interest of all of us for you to go back, rescind what’s been done here, treat everybody equally and try to come up with enough money to restore the cuts that you’ve made,” Trees said.
“Try to spread the cuts, so to speak, across the board,” Supervisor Percy Nowlin suggested. “I am greatly troubled by the amount of cuts that we’re looking at.”
“We’re just trying to deal with the economy and what the state and federal government have done to our schools and to us,” Hall said. “We do hope that you have heard some of our suggestions and that you take another look.
“We’re not here to hurt you,” Hall said.
