New Kent schools adopt $28.4 million budget

By Andre Jones | June 11, 2014 4:25 pm

New Kent school board members adopted a $28,404,281 budget for the 2014-15 school year at their June 2 regular meeting. Representatives accepted the new budget by a 4-0 count (with District 5 representative Gail Hardinge absent) after a recommendation from finance director Sheila Minor.

Originally, a budget for $28,554,281 was approved by schools at a March 19 meeting. But with a financial shortfall of $402,000 in the county’s budget thanks to an ongoing saga between Colonial Downs and the Virginia Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (VHBPA), supervisors elected to reduce an increase of $570,000 next year for schools to $370,000. Supervisors later restored $50,000 of that money at their May 25 work session, making the shortfall of schools $150,000.

To accommodate the new figure, New Kent school board members agreed with Minor’s recommendations for making up the difference. Among key budgetary cuts include freezing the hiring of a network administrative position and wireless installation ($74,790), eliminating elementary school summer school ($40,000), and delaying the high school Chromebook initiative ($40,000).

Capital improvements, software updates, and maintenance are also areas taking a significant hit. Painting ($20,000), roof maintenance ($3,500), machinery and equipment cuts ($10,000), eliminating PSAT testing ($3,416) and attendance/time software ($17,000) have all been eliminated.

After the adopting of the budget, superintendent of schools Rick Richardson commented on the severity of the cuts.

“We adopted the budget, but if the state does not adopt their budget by July, it will have a significant impact on our schools,” said Richardson.

At the supervisors’ May work session, mention of the state budget came into play. Richardson notified supervisors then that the budget could impact preparations for the upcoming school year, and may even affect personnel positions.

Overall, the outgoing superintendent said the school system is strong with the personnel and caring staff.

“I know that the people I’ve worked with over the years have done a good job,” said Richardson. “You all could have chosen to go elsewhere and make more money, but you stayed here and you made my experience here wonderful.

“What the schools need is more money,” he said. “We are the fourth lowest spending per student, and to do all we have done speaks beyond volumes of this staff, the teachers, and the administrators.”