Increase in local contribution part of $9.2 million proposed budget by Charles City Schools

With the expectation that the school system will have to make up a $331,000 shortfall due to a number of factors, Charles City superintendent of schools David Gaston is hoping that an increase in local funds will offset the deficit.

Gaston presented a $9,280,550 budget for fiscal year 2017-18 during the Jan. 23 school board work session. Of that amount, schools are requesting $5,380,464 in local dollars, an increase of $400,000 from this year’s contribution from the county.

“We’ve done everything we could to offset the deficit,” Gaston said after the meeting. “We don’t have anywhere else we can really go.”

At the school board’s Jan. 17 regular meeting, Gaston commented that the schools would be starting in a $350,000 hole before the budget process began. That figure panned out to be $331,000, with contributing factors being a reduction in state funding ($120,000), an increase in the Virginia Retirement System (VRS) rate ($90,000), a health insurance renewal increase by eight percent ($66,000), and a loss in the food services department ($55,000).

Adhering to requests by the school board, the superintendent presented a budget that focused on providing raises to teachers as well as presenting an attractive salary to draw new employees in as well. Gaston proposed a new salary scale, implementing a new first step (step zero) that would start first year teachers at $40,000, up from the current starting salary of $37,876. The new scale would provide a step increase for all teachers, with each step earned resulting in a one percent salary increase and maxing out at step 30 ($53,916). In total, the budgeted item pegs in at a cost of $244,000.

“Our greatest need is the pay scale,” the superintendent said. “Our teachers are passionate about what they want and what they need to see. When you’re 100th in the state in starting salary, that was something that we had to address. There haven’t been any consistent steps on the pay scales.”

Other proposals recommended by Gaston include implementing a new bus driver and instructional assistant scale, a step increase to the food service department, a one percent raise to clerical, support, and maintenance staff, and hiring of a technology coordination position (which would replace the current outsourcing of the department.)

But with the requests made by the superintendent, there are some areas that will be addressed to save money as well. Staffing reductions due to enrollment, attrition due to retirement, and departing employees also were presented to the school board. Under Gaston’s proposal, the changes will result in the loss of four teachers ($205,000), two clerical positions ($74,000), and a reduction for the HVAC position ($22,000). Transportation adjustments ($42,000), a modification to convert the ITRT and high school guidance counselor positions into 12-month employees ($15,000), and savings from summer school ($18,000) were also listed as cost saving factors.

“I look for options in the budget and had a lot of factors to consider,” Gaston said, referencing the cost-cutting measures. “There are a lot of things that we looked into this budget as we know we will be getting some retirees as well as the possibility of losing some employees due to our enrollment numbers decreasing.”

Among other requests desired by the school board, Gaston was able to accommodate funding for a Teacher Assistance Program (TAP- through grants and additional local funding), adjusted contract services, preserving magnet programs (Governor Schools), and having a decrease in the areas of fuel, utility, telecom, and e-rate costs.

The school’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) proposed budget for FY2017-18 came in at a price tag of $1,1147,267. Of that amount, $902,483 will be requested as a local contribution.

Major projects listed on the proposal for the upcoming cycle are renovation of the high school commons area ($252,340), bus replacement ($180,000), renovation of the blue wing at the elementary school ($119,981), and repaving parking lots ($90,000).

After the presentation of the budget, school board members didn’t have much to say as they digested the information. However, at-large representative Steve Fuhrmann commented about preparing for a response if the increases in local dollars aren’t granted.

“It is highly unlikely we are going to get that type of funding,” the school board member commented. “I think we are going to have to reduce programs if we want to keep these items.

“I am against anything that sees a reduction in the area of instruction,” Fuhrmann continued. “I don’t think $40,000 as a base salary is enough to attract teachers and I would like to see more. I’d rather see reductions in other areas to see that amount increase.”

Gaston concluded by commenting after the meeting his desire in constructing a budget of need.

“I know this puts a lot of pressure on the locality,” he said. “This is an ask to keep our schools running efficiently.”