New schools drive budget increase

If it weren't for two new schools currently under construction in Fauquier County, the school superintendent's proposed budget increase would be only 3.17 percent, less than half of last year's increase.

Superintendent Dr. Jonathan Lewis said that his proposal offers no new programs and no additional personnel in existing schools. Most of the non-new-school related increase is tied to salary increases with a small percentage going to cover operational costs.

The 2008-09 budget year is the third year of a compensation plan initiated in 2005 to raise salaries of teachers, bus drivers, custodians, administrators and classified staff to a competitive level. In the new budget proposal, each category is slated to receive increases according to the 2007-08 revised compensation plan. Although raises in each personnel category are different, according to the revised plan, the school district's overall average salary and benefit increase is 3.5 percent.

But debt service and operational costs of almost $9 million for Kettle Run High School and Greenville Elementary raise his budget proposal increase to 9.97 percent for a total increase of $12.9 million.

The operational costs of the two schools include the salaries and benefits of 85 additional staff members, utilities, transportation costs and janitorial supplies. These costs make up just over 68 percent of the total proposed budget increase.

“I think all of us are all sensitive to the fact that this is a challenging year for the county.," Lewis said. "Opening two new schools is an expensive undertaking in the best of years. In a difficult budget climate, it is very, very hard to do.”

With that in mind, Lewis said he kept the requests of the schools to a minimum, not adding new staff or programs. For instance, in the category of instruction, which makes up 75 percent of the budget, the only new item added is one that was deleted last year — summer school for elementary and middle schoolers is now back in the proposed budget.

“Are you sure you are going to have everything you need?” Duke Bland, the re-elected board chairman for 2008-09, asked the new superintendent.

“We are confident that this budget will take us where we need to go,” Lewis responded.

E-mail the reporter: afelts@timespapers.com.