Pittsylvania County School Board ponders budget, again

Pittsylvania County School Board members discussed budget concerns Tuesday night at their monthly meeting, reviewing possible cuts that the superintendent presented to the budget committee last month.

The board is considering a 1- or 2-percent across-the-board pay cut to balance the budget. A 1-percent pay cut would save $575,000. Superintendent James McDaniel said they would know more specifics after March 1 when the Department of Education releases information about the General Assembly’s budget.

“If there are priorities that this body wants to include or remove as a cut — we need to know that,” McDaniel said.

Board members expressed concern about possibly cutting the Cortez Math Program, PALS tutoring or the alternative school and the effects those cuts would have on graduation rates or SOL results.

“Unfortunately whatever we do here, we’re gonna take a step back in time,” said Neal Oakes, chairman of the budget committee. “Pittsylvania County’s gonna step back at least 20 years. Everything we’ve worked for, everything we’ve moved forward with … is gonna be a failure.”

Board member Samuel Burton, along with others, was extremely critical of the lack of financial support from the county Board of Supervisors, which continuously funds the school system at the minimum level. The county will have to make up a $1.3 million difference this year because of adjustments to the statewide funding formula.

Burton and others noted that none of the supervisors had contacted them about discussing the school’s budget situation.

“This is a really reactive board,” Burton said. “If we had a proactive board that had funded us above the minimum … they wouldn’t be in the position they’re in.”

The School Board strongly encouraged parents to contact the Board of Supervisors to voice their concerns about the cuts. The proposed budget will be reduced by about $4.6 million and would affect staff and instructional programs.

“The power is going to be in the hands of the citizens who want to make their concerns known to the supervisors,” board member Charles Miller said.

Board members were adamant about not cutting jobs, but up to 38 positions could be cut through attrition — although many of those are essential positions and must be replaced, McDaniel said.

Also at Tuesday night’s meeting, McDaniel noted that because students have missed so many days for inclement weather in the last five years, the division qualified for its waiver to begin the 2010-11 school year before Labor Day.