School Board trims employee pay raises to 2.5%, eliminates teaching positions to reduce final budget total
By James P. Gannon
Downsizing its 2008-2009 school budget to the funding level approved by the Board of Supervisors, the Rappahannock County School Board voted Tuesday evening to trim employee pay raises, eliminate an additional full-time teaching job and reduce part-time teaching positions.
The School Board took action to cut $250,000 from the $12.1 million budget it had proposed to the supervisors, who on May 5 approved $11,813,799 for the coming school year. Though the Board of Supervisors provided a $220,709 increase in county funding over the current year, that amount was $250,000 short of the full budget the School Board wanted to offset cuts in state and federal funding.
Superintendent Robert Chappell outlined a series of steps recommended by the board’s Finance Committee to make the $250,000 in savings. As unanimously approved by the School Board, the budget trimming includes:
- Cutting back a proposed 3.5% across-the-board salary increase for all teachers, bus drivers, aides and other employees to 2.5%, saving $66,333. In addition, teachers and others on professional pay scales receive annual “step” increases based on years of service, making their pay increases about 4%.
- Eliminating one full-time elementary school teaching position that the School Board had restored to the budget after Chappell had recommended eliminating the job. Chappell proposed eliminating two teaching jobs–one in kindergarten and one in first grade–reflecting declining enrollment at that level. The School Board sought to save one of those positions, but the Supervisors’ funding level forced them to reverse their decision, saving $64,239.
- Cutting two half-time high school teaching positions, one in French and one in drama, to save $27,528 and $31,704, respectively. In a similar move, a part-time teaching position in Title I Math will be covered by existing personnel, saving $19,516.
- In an unusual move, the board struck from the budget $40,680 from a line item for purchasing a new bus expected to cost about $66,000–but kept $25,000 in the budget for that purpose. Chappell said he still wants to buy the bus and “I hope to be able to figure out a way” to find the the deleted $40,680 somewhere else, though it’s unclear where.
The superintendent said he met with about 60-75 school employees Tuesday afternoon to tell them of the proposed reduction in the size of their salary raises for next year. Asked how they reacted, he said, “They didn’t cheer.” Pressed for elaboration, he added, “I think is a feeling among some of the staff that the community doesn’t support education.”
Before the vote on the budget savings, board member Meredith Gorfein of Hampton district expressed concern over trimming proposed pay raises for teachers. “We did the best we could with the money we got,” said Aline Johnson of Piedmont District, who sits on the Finance Committee. Board member Rosa Crocker of Wakefield District lamented the loss of teaching positions. “To lose half a drama position, half a French position….and a full time teaching position at the elementary school is really regrettable to me,” she said.
In another economy move, the School Board approved a reorganization of the schools’ food service programs, which Chappell said could reduce payroll costs by about $50,000 in the coming year.
The reorganization includes cutting two part-time cafeteria jobs through attrition–which the superintendent said has already been done this spring. The plan also includes reducing one full-time job to a part-time position, and reducing the hours worked by the Food Services Director.
In recent years, the schools’ food services have operated at a loss, which has been covered by subsidy payments from the School Board. The food services rang up deficits totaling $93,087 in the years 2002-2006, according to a recent School Efficiency Review report. That report was critical of the management of the program, the condition of equipment, and the low level of student patronage of the food services.
The proposed payroll savings of $50,000, plus planned efforts to increase student participating in federally-funded free and reduced-price meals programs–which would generate additional revenue–could eliminate the need for a year-end subsidy appropriation to cover losses in the meals service.
Earlier this year, the School Board discussed contracting out the food services to a private company, as is done in some nearby county school systems. But Chappell said the idea of contracting out the service is “put on the back burner” for the coming school year while the internal reorganization program is implemented. He said he still plans to invite private contractors next fall to bid on providing food services, which remains “one more option for us to consider.”
In a closed session before the public meeting, the School Board said it had a “round table discussion” evaluating the job done by Superintendent Chappell, and voted to increase his retirement annuity by up to $5,000. “Our superintendent has had the same salary for three years now,” said Wes Mills, Jackson District board member. “He has continued to have superior ratings, and we highly value him.”
During the public comment portion of the meeting, Tom Junk of Sperryville, who heads the Concerned Taxpayers of Rappahannock, criticized board member Rosa Crocker for an e-mail message she sent to many citizens urging passage of the School Board’s full budget. The headline on the e-mail message was: “Are Our Community’s Children Worth It?”
Junk said, “I took offense at this. It’s an either/or proposition.” He took it to imply that anyone opposing the School Board budget did not value the community’s children. “I am asking Rosa Crocker to do the right thing and resign from her post” on the School Board, Junk said.
Crocker responded, “I am sorry you were offended, Mr. Junk.” Aline Johnson defended Crocker’s right to state her views.
-- James P. Gannon
Write a comment