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 sarkin@registerbee.com or (434) 791-7983.
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