New Kent Charles City Chronicle

News for New Kent County and Charles City County, Virginia | March 29, 2024

Superintendent proposes $10.4 million budget for Charles City schools’ operations in FY2019-2020

By Andre Jones | January 15, 2019 11:37 pm

Normally, Charles City superintendent of schools David Gaston would refer to his budget presentations as ones of need. At Tuesday night’s school board meeting, he referred it to more as a budget of maintenance.

Gaston presented a budget proposal of $10,473,698 for FY2019-2020 operations to school leaders. That amount is about $398,000 more than the current school year’s operating costs. Of the nearly $10.5 million proposal, Gaston is asking the county for $5,881,245 as a local contribution.

“We are finding ourselves at some impasses,” Gaston said as part of his opening statement as school board members got their first view of the document. “Right now, it is important to preserve what we have than to enhance what we have.”

Despite the school board’s desire to see the reinstatement of a nursing and assistant principal position, Gaston’s budget will not be adding any positions in the upcoming budget.

“The costs are challenging, and we will be discussing and debating over this budget in the next few months,” he added. “This budget carries some very big decisions.”

According to the superintendent, one of the main issues of the budget is the expected decrease in state revenue provided to the schools. With Charles City’s enrollment dwindling at a near five-percent rate, Gaston expects to see a decrease of $202,575 in state revenue.

“That is one of the reasons I am asking for additional county funding,” Gaston said. “We are fortunate enough to have some of our staffing positions that will be covered by grants.

“As for the additional money asked for from the county, they are primarily for maintenance and operations,” the superintendent continued. “Gas costs more. Utilities cost more. Even though we’re servicing fewer students, we must maintain lights, heat, teachers, and provide our students an education.”

Teachers are projected to receive a one percent step increase plus a one percent cost of living pay increase as part of his proposed budget. Bus drivers, aides, and food service workers are expected to see slight increases as well. Health insurance and dental insurance costs are expected to remain stable.

The school’s Capital Improvement Plan for FYI 2019-2020 is proposed to have a price tag of $1,242,984. Of that amount, facility upgrades and operations are the top priorities that will cost $785,784. Those costs target replacing 30 classroom/hallway HVAC units ($120,000), a gym HVAC unit ($110,000), a cooling tower at the high school ($105,000), and boilers at the high school ($96,585 apiece to spend for building 100 and building 200) as the top costs. Also planned are two new school buses ($214,000), and the continuing of the student one-to-one initiative ($122,400).

School board members will have a week to contemplate the first proposal as they will convene on Jan. 22 for a budget work session. A public hearing to receive input from the community is scheduled for Feb. 5.