School Board remains hopeful on budget

Culpeper County Public Schools officials expressed muted optimism that the school division will be spared further cuts to the 2011 budget following a Wednesday afternoon work session with the county.

However, the final decision to approve the school division’s $67.8 million budget as presented rests with the Board of Supervisors, the group that allocates county funding.

“We’re always hopeful — we’re staying positive,” school board member Elizabeth Hutchins said following the 30 minute meeting.

But earlier this week, several school board members expressed frustration and disappointment that the 2011 school budget calls for the elimination of 56 positions, including 25 teachers and 13 permanent substitutes. Those cuts were reluctantly incorporated to close a $4.8 million budget deficit. And that still leaves a $750,000 shortfall.

In order to close that gap, Superintendent Bobbi Johnson told the supervisors that the school division would need to cut another 10 teachers and 16 teacher’s aides. That means up to 82 positions could be eliminated due to the budget. The school board voted to adopt their budget on Tuesday.

With cuts made everywhere else, Johnson, who said salary and benefits make up 84 percent of the school division’s overall budget, said there are no other areas to cut funding from besides personnel.

Johnson also told the supervisors that CCPS preferred to err on the side of caution, basing revenue projections on a lower overall student count. School funding is based in part on how many students are served. She said Culpeper had 7,472 students and 1,186 employees at last count.

With early retirements and resignations taken into account, County Administrator Frank Bossio asked how many people might face an involuntary separation. Johnson said her latest projection is that eight high school level positions could be cut.

County update
Also Wednesday, Valerie Lamb, the county’s finance director, presented the latest 2011 budget figures and projections.

The proposed 2011 budget includes 2-percent salary reductions. In addition, four full-time animal services employees would become part time, two positions would be eliminated from parks and recreation, the library would lose 12 part time employees, planning and zoning would move a full time employee to part time and the county’s risk management position would be eliminated entirely.

As part of reductions to the 2010 budget, the county earlier this year laid off seven of 14 employees in the building department; only three of the seven remaining employees will be full time.

The county’s proposed 2011 operating budget is $124.9 million, about $1.9 million less than this year’s $126.9 million operating budget. The supervisors are set to approve the county budget in late April.