Charles City School Board to ponder cuts at future work session; receives relief on current budget

Charles City’s School Board elected not to approve a final budget at its May 20 work session after receiving a list of cuts to help save a guidance counselor position at the middle school.

With District 2 representative Barbara Crawley and District 3 representative Martha Harris absent, school board members expressed concern on the impact of the decision without the other members’ input.

Superintendent of schools Janet Crawley was tasked with finding $60,000 for the position after board members voiced concern at a May 14 work session. Crawley returned with a list of cuts to keep the position. Among them are eliminating executive administrative supplies, the school’s yearly mailed calendar, technology assistants, instruction materials, an additional reduction of supplies and materials from all three schools, limiting after school remediation to the areas of reading and mathematics, and vehicle fuel.

“It hurts to go through this and pains me to find these cuts because each one affects students,” said Crawley. “I hope you all are able to function efficiently and effectively next year after these cuts.”

The recommended eliminations were an extension of the school board’s May 14 work session. There, members explored options to reduce the schools’ budget by $300,000 to the $9.7 million figured designated by county supervisors.

Crawley presented a list of more than 20 items that totaled the deficit to make up the shortfall at the work session. Among major items listed included the elimination of three teacher aides ($51,007 total), a high school teacher ($48,882 from a consolidated position due to resignation), therapeutic services ($38,982), and reduction of a full-time maintenance position to part-time due to a retiree ($30,000).

This is the second set of cuts conducted by the school board. Initial cuts of $344,053 were made to incorporate level funding for next year. Those cuts included the termination of a school nurse, one preschool class, tuition at both governor’s schools, and payment on bus leases.

While neither the first nor second round of financial cuts have been made official, Crawley said school board members need to prepare for several issues that may physically impact the school buildings in the near future.

“We are limping in maintenance and we’re limping in transportation,” she said. “At some point, you will be hit with major capital needs and will have several issues to be addressed that will cost a lot of money.”

In a sign of positive news for schools, there will be no further reduction in appropriations for the current school year.

Crawley announced at the May 20 meeting that a letter received from county administrator Zach Trogdon confirmed supervisors intend to allow $113,000 in funding to remain with the schools.

Schools were asked to return $436,000 to the county in March due to a lack of revenue from the county’s major provider, Waste Management. Through additional cuts on the county’s side, schools had returned $323,346 instead of the total amount, resulting in the $113,000 in savings. Crawley said the returned monies will be used to provide coaching stipends for spring sports, substitute teachers, and instruction materials for the remainder of the year.