The Shadow
LOW MOOR — The Alleghany County School Board is preparing for a tight budget year.
Tuesday, the school board briefly discussed preparations for the coming 2020-2021 fiscal year, which begins in July.
The school board met Tuesday at its central office complex in Low Moor for its January business meeting.
For now, the school board is basing its preliminary budget projections on numbers that were submitted to the General Assembly’s money committees in December by Gov. Ralph Northam.
Based on anticipated levels of state funding in Northam’s budget proposal, the school board is preparing to make $300,000 in cuts to its budget. The school board has suggested $200,000 in cuts. Its administrative staff has been directed to cut another $100,000.
However, state funding numbers to the school division could change as the General Assembly works with Northam to craft a two-year spending plan for the state.
“The budget is going to be pretty tight again. I am hoping some more money will come to allow us to do some of the things that we want to do in the coming year,” said Craig Lane, the school board’s Jackson River District representative.
Superintendent Gene Kotulka said he expects lawmakers to begin working on education funding in the next week.
He said a coalition of rural school divisions is being very active in lobbying lawmakers to provide equitable education funding.
The school board is awaiting updated information from Richmond before it schedules more budget work sessions.
“We will probably know more by the end of the month,” said Keven Rice, the school division’s finance director.
In other business Tuesday, the school board:
— Approved Web-filtering changes at Alleghany High School. The changes will give freshmen and sophomores more access to Internet content.
“It’s the same filtering changes approved for juniors and seniors last spring,” said Jeff Alleman, the school division’s director of technology.
— Approved the 2020-2021 school calendar.
The first day of school will be Aug. 6. The academic year will end May 20, 2021.
Kotulka said the calendar was developed in conjunction with Covington City Schools and Jackson River Technical Center.
— Approved legislative priorities for 2020.
— Approved a capital improvement plan.
— Approved a revised six-year comprehensive plan.
— Reviewed preliminary numbers from fall Standards of Learning test scores at AHS.
Sherman Callahan, director of elementary instruction, said pass rates appear to be up at AHS for the fall.
He said final results will be released by the Virginia Department of Education at a later date.
Callahan said SOL?tests were not administered at Clifton Middle School in the fall.
— Received updated information on teacher-pupil ratios.
— Reviewed planned activities in schools for Black History Month in February.
“It’s wonderful. It’s fabulous what you guys are putting together,” said Jennifer Seckner, the school board’s Sharon District representative.
