WARM SPRINGS – The Bath County School Board continues its 2011-12 fiscal year budget preparations.
While the school board fielded few comments during a public hearing on the budget Tuesday night, Superintendent Sue Hirsh offered an update on the budget process.
Hirsh said the school board began constructing its budget in January.
“The school board has been building a budget, which at this point is not yet final,” Hirsh said. “From the beginning, I want you to know that staff has worked carefully to prepare a budget that was accurate, realistic, justified and prioritized.”
She said that school officials were asked to present a budget that did not exceed the current level of funding.
The proposed 2011-12 fiscal plan is based on 605 students attending Bath County Public Schools next year, a decrease from the 635 students attending Bath County schools this year and 670 students a year ago.
“We are seeing a declining enrollment,” Hirsh explained. “Declining enrollment means a decline in revenue.”
Hirsh said the first budget proposal considered by the school board reflected a 4.81 percent increase in funding.
That 10 percent increase included a 10 percent hike in insurance costs and increases for Virginia Retirement System contributions. It was based on Gov. Bob McDonnell’s budget proposal.
“We are very sensitive to the fact that our nation, our state and our locality are dealing with a significant revenue decrease over the last several years,” Hirsh said. “Therefore, it was our intent to put a realistic budget together, but one that reflects the needs of Bath County students.”
Hirsh added that current levels of support for public education are below 2007 levels.
“Unfunded mandates both for education and in other fields are coming at a time of revenue decreases,” she said. “Funding for Bath is being impacted not only by its ruralness but also (because) we deal with a local Composite Index of 0.80 – the highest in the state.”
The Composite Index is the formula used by the state to calculate a locality’s ability to fund schools.
Hirsh said the current budget proposal under consideration by the school board contains pay increases for staff, who haven’t seen a raise in three years. It includes a 15 percent increase in health insurance costs and the reinstatement of a principal for Millboro Elementary School. It also addresses maintenance needs.
“We have not had a maintenance program,” Hirsh said. “We have had a repair program.”
The current budget proposal is also based on Gov. McDonnell’s projections.
“As of last weekend, we do have some good news,” Hirsh said. “That is neither the Senate or House budget as proposed was adopted, but what looks like will be a $75 million increase in K-12 instruction, and also some of the mandates we were waiting to hear – whether they were or they weren’t – might now not be and impact our revenue.”
The current 2011-12 budget proposal of $9,586,861 under consideration by the Bath County School Board reflects a 9.64 percent increase over the 2010-11 fiscal year budget of $8,743,580.
“Hopefully through the process of completing the budget, we can try to maintain not only the needs of the students, but maintain a level (in which) our staff can work without the anxiety that usually budgets bring with it.”
The school board rescheduled a Thursday, March 10, work session to Monday, March 7.
“We still have a couple of budget work sessions that we will hold, and we still have a meeting with the board of supervisors to present our budget,” Hirsh said.
In other business Tuesday night, the school board voted to prohibit use of a locker room at Bath County High School until further notice.
The locker room has been the subject of much discussion in recent months due to its disrepair and needed renovations.
“We’ve got to fix it,” said Jon Trees, a member of the Bath County Board of Supervisors who added that he was not speaking on behalf of the board. “It’s unsafe.”
The school board has included $548,400 in its capital improvements request to repair the locker room. That cost was taken from estimates included in previous renovations at the high school to repair the locker room. That portion of the renovations project was pulled due to a lack of funding.
Both Trees and Bath County School Board Chairman Eddie Ryder said they hoped renovations could be completed at a cost that is less than what is contained in the capital improvements request.
“I hope for the sake of money, we don’t put a Band-Aid on this thing,” Ryder said. “Maybe we can find a way to do it for less money.”
Also Tuesday night, students were recognized for their recent achievements.
Melanie Baughan, Sarita Hough and Sage Tanguay participated in the recent Science Fair at Jackson River Governor’s School and will be advancing to the regional competition at Hollins University.
Also recognized was the BCHS Academic Team, coach-ed by Olivia Haney.
The team placed second in the Pioneer District competition on Jan. 20 at BCHS and third in the Region C competition at Radford High School on Feb. 4.
The BCHS Academic Team includes students in grades 8-12. Team members include: Erin Arrington, Shaun Dujardin, Isaac Haney, Sarita Hough, Jamie Sprouse, Sarah Arrington, Laura Haney, Savannah McLaurin, West Redington, Charley Adams, Alex Cambata, Emily Arrington, Ali McLaurin, Saul Pasco and Jenny Quantz.
Spelling Bee winners were recognized for the accomplishments as well. They include:
Grade 5: Maggie Hyler (Millboro Elementary School) and Rachel Wolfe (Valley Elementary School).
Grade 6: Aaron Loan (MES) and LeeAnn Colon (VES).
Grade 7: Justin Puffenbarger (MES) and Kelby Smith (VES).
Schools: Molly Watkins (MES winner) and Aaron Loan (MES runner-up); Steve Gardener Jr. (VES winner) and Kayla Pritt (VES runner-up).
Division-Wide: First Place: Molly Watkins (MES) and Runner-up: LeeAnn Colon (VES).
The school board also recognized the achievements of the BCHS girls basketball team, the Region C champions who will play in the state quarterfinals Saturday at the Salem Civic Center.
In other business, the Bath County School Board:
– approved various over-night field trips;
– accepted Kevin Williams and Kenny Baugh as substitute bus drivers;
– approved Ed Walters as a BCHS girls soccer volunteer coach;
– accepted the resignation of BCHS teacher Laura Cooper at the end of the current school year.