Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 15, 1991 TAG: 9103150575
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
DATELINE: PULASKI LENGTH: Medium
The proposed budget would actually be $386,654 less than the current 1990-91 total of $22,915,654. But it would still require $146,186 more in local money to make up for the heavy losses in state funds.
Superintendent William Asbury said he felt the board could defend that much of a local increase, having surgically cut the budget as much as possible without damaging the county's educational program or laying off people.
Besides freezing salaries, the proposed $22,529,000 budget would reduce employees by 13, cut supplies and equipment, eliminate duty-free lunch periods for teachers and include other cost-cutting measures.
New textbook adoptions were delayed a year, saving $90,000. Buses will be acquired on a lease-purchase basis, which will save money next year although the interest payments will cost more over the five-year purchases. The high school peer-counseling program was dropped, and administrative expenses in the central office and principals' offices were reduced.
The School Board took no action on the proposed budget Thursday. It will hold one more workshop on the budget March 22 at 8:30 p.m., going over it in detail, and then will hold a public hearing on it March 26 at 7 p.m. at Pulaski County High School.
It would be submitted to the Board of Supervisors in April.
Although it provides no pay increases, the budget does reflect the concerns of teachers as shown in a recent survey in which they all participated, said Assistant Superintendent Phyllis Bishop.
Most of the teachers ranked smaller class sizes as their top priority, with continued art, music and physical education programs in elementary schools all falling in second or third places. Increased employee benefits came fourth and salary increases, fifth.
Asbury said the early-retirement plan approved by the 1991 legislature - allowing employees at age 50 with 25 years on the job to retire - kept budget planners from having to make deeper cuts.
The 13 personnel reductions are by people leaving for early retirement or other reasons. They include three administrators, seven teachers, a guidance counselor, a secretary and a custodian.
No instructional programs were dropped in the proposed budget. Improved benefits include unlimited accumulation of sick leave days, allowing unused personal leave days to be added to sick leave days the following year, and increasing the amount paid on retirement for unused sick leave from $15 to $20 per day.
by CNB