Superintendent recommends $11.8 million budget for Charles City schools for FY2020-21

Charles City’s School Board members got its initial view of superintendent of schools David Gaston’s first proposed budget for FY2020-21 cycle.

Gaston proposed a recommendation of $11,826,693 for the upcoming fiscal year, an increase of $1,704,197 from this year’s budget. Of that amount, approximately $7,294,345 is being asked from the county for operations, an increase of $1,609,452, or roughly 28 percent.

Gaston spoke about difficulties building the budget that include adjustments to the pay scales for both teachers and employees.

Several new positions are requested in the budget. Among them include two instructional assistants for the elementary school, one math specialist at each school, a reading specialist at the high school, and one district information technology (IT) specialist. The budget also includes asking for an additional school nurse, assistant principal, and additional support for special education. In total, 18 positions are being asked for that totals more than $700,000.

The Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) is proposed in the amount of $1,400,301. Big ticket items on that list includes the purchase of three school buses ($328,500), replacement of carpet at the high school ($210,000), and boilers for both portions of the high school ($212,000).

In total, the ask from the county is roughly $2.1 million including the CIP. According to Gaston, the funds will restore a nurse, assistant principal, add specialists, provide teacher and staff raises, increased instructional funding, and additional learning supplies.

School board members elected to reserve comments for the most part, with the only inquiry about the resurfacing of the outdoor track. According to Director of Operations Jerome Tyler, cost to resurface the track would cost $218,000, up $12,000 from last year.

A public hearing on the school’s proposed budget is scheduled for March 3.