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Area schools feel the squeeze
Fauquier's supervisors held their last public hearing on the budget Tuesday night, and face an April 2 deadline for its approval.The school system plays a big role in these considerations. Basically, the local school board has approved a budget that holds the line on expenses. The only new program, exclusive of new school openings, is the reinstatement of summer school for K-8.
Neighboring school superintendents and their boards are either still cutting proposed budgets for FY09 or are holding their breaths as their supervisors pick up their own scissors to do the job.
In Rappanhannock County, the school board made changes to the superintendent's proposal on March 18 before they presented it to the supervisors on March 31.
Originally, superintendent Dr. Robert Chappell had recommended that seven positions be cut or not filled for the upcoming school year for a $415,000 savings. The school board decided to add back one K-5 position, the actual grade placement to be decided in August after school enrollment.
Rappahannock board members voted to adopt a new formula for non-resident tuition which will be approximately $6,200 for next year to attract more students. This year's tuition is $8,300 which includes transportation and special-education costs in the calculation.
The nearby school board also added $10,000 to the budget in anticipation of higher fuel costs. And the board took decreased state funding into account and voted on a new bottom line of $12,063,799.
This is $33,135 less than the the current school year budget.
Culpeper County Public School Board members are also expecting another cut in the revised $75.5 million dollar budget presented by superintendent David Cox.
While the budget allows for the opening of two new schools, class sizes at the elementary school level will actually increase.
No programs will be cut, but some staffing positions will not be filled. Teachers will not receive pay raises.
Even with Cox's reduction, the school board approved budget will require an increase of more than $6 million dollars from the county government.
Loudoun County supervisors have also been holding numerous work sessions to look at the $794.3 million budget. The school board made $7.1 million in reductions before the supervisors received the latest proposal.
The Loudoun school board delayed a new high school opening, as well as the hiring of 14 additional elementary school secretaries. It reduced 10 high school administrative office assistants and the pay rate of substitute teachers.
Technology upgrades were eliminated, along with an online assessment system and specialist.
Clarke County Public Schools has presented its $26 million budget to its board of supervisors showing a major change in expenditures with the reductions of six positions.
Stafford County is keeping tight reins on its $262.3 million budget in comparison with last year's adjusted budget of $247.5 million. Line items show a cutback in operation and maintenance and facilities of almost $1.7 million from last year.
Prince William Public Schools has a $836.2 million proposed budget. The superintendent's proposal accounts for an expenditure adjustment of minus $11 million for a “slippage in compensation,” the difference between an estimated and actual expenditure.
E-mail the reporter: afelts@timespapers.com.
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