ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, May 10, 1996 TAG: 9605110001
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: BEDFORD
SOURCE: JOANNE POINDEXTER STAFF WRITER
The Bedford County School Board has revised its 1996-97 budget to make up for $1 million that the county supervisors didn't give the school system.
The School Board trimmed its original $48 million budget Thursday by reducing administration, maintenance and facilities costs. While no major renovation projects were dropped, some equipment purchases were scaled back. Four central office positions were eliminated, and raises for teachers and other staff members, originally set at 4 percent, were reduced to 3 percent.
"I think the board deserves a lot of credit," school Superintendent John Kent said. ``Even though they cut $1 million, they increased the percentage of the budget going toward the instructional category."
The School Board originally had approved a budget in which 70 percent of the funding went for instructional services that included teachers' salaries, materials and books. The budget passed Thursday has 71 percent of the funding going for instructional services.
By transferring some maintenance projects, such as a new roof for Thaxton Elementary School, from the facilities category to the construction category, the School Board was able to save some money. The construction category of the budget is funded with money from bonds that have already been sold.
The county has construction planned for Stewartsville, Moneta and Huddleston elementary schools for the next school term. Kent said the system will "just have to make sure we get better prices than we anticipated" to stay within budget.
The original budget also had $70,000 for a construction supervisor and clerical assistant, but the positions were cut. The board decided not to fund the positions until the system has to build another school. Kent said three central office positions will be shifted to the schools to fill vacancies and one person is leaving, resulting in a savings of more than $200,000.
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