Charles City superintendent of schools proposes $10.8 million budget for FY2018-19

Despite a continuous decline in enrollment, Charles City superintendent of schools David Gaston’s budget proposal presented Tuesday night focused on providing continuing support to students, school programs, and compensation of employees.

Gaston presented a budget of $10,834,747 to school board members for the 2018-19 fiscal year. Of that amount, approximately $9,872,346 is money for the school regular fund. The self-sustaining fund is budgeted at $498,854, the food service fund at $402,932, and textbook fund is $60,615. The proposed number is an increase of $756,685 from the current year’s figure, roughly a 7.5 percent increase in overall expenditures. Of the $10.8 million figure, the schools are requesting a local contribution from the county of $6,018,471. That amount is $755,587, or 14.35 percent, of what the county is providing the school system for the current year ($5,262,887).

Gaston’s emphasis on the budget of need had a few bright spots. A decrease in the Virginia Retirement System (VRS) rate will save roughly $30,000 for the school system, while state funding will also increase for the first time by a projected $54,000.

But for every up Gaston referenced, there were several downs that affected the budget before the process began. A decrease in federal grant funds will require the school to absorb costs of a full-time special education position and bus aides to the tune of $85,000. The increase of the Local Composite Index (LCI) from .4941 to .5175 will be the equivalent of a $136,000 loss to the schools.

The superintendent told school board members that keeping Charles City schools competitive with surrounding localities regarding salary and compensation became a point of emphasis in this year’s budget. Proposals include a one-step plus two percent Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) increase to provide a raise to instructional staff, and an increase to the starting pay scale for teachers from $40,000 to $40,800. Bus drivers are proposed to see an increase from $12.30 to $15 per hour, while instructional assistants and food service staff members will have a raise from $9 to $10 an hour. All other school employees are targeted to receive a three percent increase in salary.

Positions slated to be added in this year’s cycle includes the reinstatement of a full-time school psychologist (that will be carried over from the current year’s budget), a full-time intervention specialist (that is expected to be mandated by legislation through Virginia’s General Assembly), a full-time math specialist, and two additional car drivers for special education transportation. The school’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) is being revamped due to recent structural failures at the schools, but it is still estimated to remain at $1.2 million as projected in the county’s five-year plan.

While the proposed budget is ambitious, Gaston remained committed to the obligations and needs of the schools.

“With any budget you have to find things you can work with,” the superintendent said. “I wanted this budget to remain committed to the students, employees, and programs. I am not going to compromise that.

“I can emphasize how much that this budget is just a starting process,” Gaston continue. “It definitely isn’t going to look like what it started out with.”

One of those points about the shifting budget came towards the end of the meeting after school board members received their first glimpse of the budget. A recommendation by Gaston that called for the reformulation of the current instructional specialist for special education position to a supervisor for special education position with managing duties was quickly met with dismay from two school board members.

“I was told by the community that when that position was removed last year’s budget that it would be brought back in an elevated position,” said District 3 Martha Harris. “I want to see that position advertised, but to see this proposal come up like that, I don’t like it.”

“It looks like a classic bait and switch,” chimed in at-large representative Steve Fuhrmann. “I agree with Mrs. Harris on this issue.”

Gaston said the uphill battle with funding will continue and he hopes the county’s board of supervisors understands the situation the schools are dealing with.

“There are several proposals of unfunded mandates that are in the General Assembly and we are trying to get a grasp on what it costs,” the superintendent commented. “While we are getting better information, those are things we can’t avoid.

“We have seen a decrease in our federal funds such as losing nearly 25 percent in our Title II grant,” Gaston added. “We have to find ways to make those things work and find out how to deliver in different ways. We either will see a shift in staff salary or positions will go away. It’s grim.”

School board members will have three weeks to digest the 62-page packet. A budget public hearing will take place on Feb. 6 at 6:30 p.m. at the School Board and Government Administration Building. The Capital Improvement Plan is expected to be released online by the conclusion of next week.