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Follow us on TwitterPitts. Co. Schools expect $6.4M shortfall
Published: January 14, 2009
Updated: January 15, 2009
The Pittsylvania County School Board budget committee will meet tonight in Chatham to discuss how cuts from the state budget will affect operations.
“One thing is for certain,” board member Charles Miller Jr. said Wednesday, “we’re going to try to be men of wisdom and protect everything we can.”
Pittsylvania County Schools Superintendent James McDaniel said the school system is expecting a $6.4 million cut from the budget — about $1.4 million being cut by the Board of Supervisors and a shortfall of $5 million from Gov. Timothy M. Kaine’s proposed cuts.
Miller said the budget committee was going to look at a number of ways to address the shortfall, which includes re-evaluating programs and teacher pay raises and likely not filling positions that have become vacant due to attrition.
McDaniel said the board would consider everything the budget committee presents and would look at cuts from “a tiered approach.”
He said potential funding cuts from maintenance operation and looking at non-renewable bus lease contracts were at the top of the list. Beyond that, McDaniel said the board would look at attrition of staff, as well as curtailing field trips and instructional travel expenses.
“I don’t think there’s going to be anything that’s not considered,” he said.
Miller said he hoped that the community would support the school as well, as funds dwindle from the state.
“The Pittsylvania County Schools under the leadership of our superintendent and central administration have consistently performed miracles with the little that we have,” Miller said pointing to the fact that every school in the county is accredited.
“It’s obvious our folks have done a superior job,” he said. “And if our locality would do a little bit more, we could do a lot more.”
The meeting will be at 6 p.m. in the Pittsylvania County School Board Administrative Office.
• Contact Sarah Arkin at or (434) 791-7983.
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Reader Reactions
I couldn’t agree more with wakeup, countrygirl, and nearly everyone that posted here I just left a long post on the video cameras in school story and I won’t reiterate since I spent a fair amount of time on the value of a great education in it. Also teachers should not have thier pay cut they should all get raises and more money to spend on the children. And yes we as citizens should have unrestricted access to where that money went and where it is going. We need to make known the office holders who are failing us by cutting education budgets and get them OUT of office.
Where is all the Lottery money going? They also need to check to make sure that all children going to the schools live in that district and not giving false addresses. There maybe some well a lot of tuition you could be getting. But are they too lazy to do so? Education is very important and they could cut out a lot of things not needed.
The children in our schools today will be our teachers, principals, nurses, doctors, dentists, lawyers, and the list goes on and on, of tomorrow. As the ad about education says, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.“ Education is the most important part of a child’s preparation for the future, and cutting corners with education is not the way to go. Education is something that can NEVER be taken away from you, and our children are entitled to the best education possible. Every aspect should be evaluated very carefully before cuts are made. I am not a teacher and would never have the patience to be one, but I remember the impressions left on me by the teachers I had from 1st grade through high school, and the majority of them changed my life for the better. Cutting the number of teachers in the system and programs that help our children to excel such as the gifted program and athletics is not the way to go. Please remember that the children in school now are our future, and allow them to receive the best education possible. By the way, I no longer have children in school in Pittsylvania County.
Instead of cutting our school budget let’s cut the Governor’s salary. The school budget should be the last thing he should be cutting. The money that was so freely given away to these companies, that don’t deserve it should have been given to the schools. Also, can someone explain to me why do we have the lottery? I thought this was put in place to help. Say adios governor and hello education.
This needs to be addressed at the state level since the Governor has decided the majority of budget trimming should occur with education and health care!!
He talks about the future and education IS the future!! The county has an additional problem and that is to find a way to pay for a 65 million dollar bond for school renovations!! As far as the school budget is concerned, I do have some suggestions: 1-There must be a pay cut as follows: 5% for ALL administrative personnel, 4% for all teachers and 3% for all classified personnel (custodians, etc), 2-The schools should increase the school day by 1.5 hours each day and convert to a four day school week (Tuesday through Friday). Close the schools Saturday through Monday, 3-All athletic activities should be held at the immediate conclusion of the school day. Activities normally scheduled at night (usually football) would be played on Saturday morning or Saturday afternoon to take advantage of daylight. We need creative thinking in the county in order to perserve one of our most important assets - EDUCATION!!
And will they still be asking for a 5 percent pay increase? Some of the assistant superintendent’s jobs could be eliminated; no other county close by boasts of so much deadwood!
Public education in the state of Va. received 455.3 million dollars just from the Va.lottery for 2008. WHAT ARE THESE PEOPLE DOING WITH THE MONEY??? We need to have more say in where this money goes like to raises for teachers and equipment for our kids.
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