THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, May 15, 1996 TAG: 9605150383
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ALETA PAYNE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 68 lines
The School Board is set to trim more than $13 million from the coming fiscal year's operating budget by deferring a raise for employees until December and cutting money from other areas including staff training and substitute teachers' pay.
Although the board took no formal vote, there was consensus among current and recently elected members who attended Tuesday's work session to support the administration's proposed changes to the spending plan. While several members expressed concern with further belt-tightening, the clear message was that the budget had to come in at $387.3 million or less.
``The realities are we've got to reduce the budget,'' said board member Fred G. Benham.
The School Board previously approved and submitted to City Council a $401 million budget that included a 5 percent salary increase for most employees. The increase of more than $40 million from the current year's $358.4 million budget was because programs and positions were not properly funded in recent spending plans.
While the city agreed to increase its share of the school system's funding by $20 million, a figure city officials said would require a 3.2 cent tax rate-increase, that left funding for the state's second-largest district at $385 million. Last week, city officials increased their contribution, but still left school leaders with almost $14 million to trim.
It was Benham, a retired deputy superintendent for business and finance in the district known for his accuracy, who first agreed to sign off on the cuts. He noted, however, that the reductions should save the division about $300,000 more than needed to balance the budget. He also asked that those savings be put in a contingency fund. Other board members agreed.
Among the administration's recommendations to bring next year's budget in line are:
Reducing a raise of up to 5 percent for employees to 4.5 percent (a 1.5 percent increase for all employees and a 3 percent step increase for those eligible) and delaying the start of that raise to Dec. 1, 1996 - a savings of more than $6.1 million.
Cutting almost $1.7 million suggested by budget managers, including staff training, some supplies, copying services and other areas.
Shifting the costs of leasing Celebration Station into the Capital Improvement Program at a savings of more than $960,000 for the operating budget.
Reducing the pay for substitute teachers from $50 to $48 per day - a rate that still leaves Virginia Beach leading the area in substitute pay but saves the division $200,000.
Donald A. Peccia, assistant superintendent for administrative services, said school leaders had tried to keep the cuts as far away from the classroom as possible. But he acknowledged that the division was digging deep.
For school leaders trying to ensure fiscal stability after two years of financial crises, the prospect of another year of battling to balance the budget was not far from their minds.
``We have worked hard to develop a good budget to reflect the needs of the school system,'' said board member Tim Jackson. ``I'm not convinced our budget (managers) should be tasked with tightening their belts . . . because they already cut so much.''
The board is scheduled to approve a final budget next Tuesday.
KEYWORDS: VIRGINIA BEACH BUDGET by CNB