Roanoke County School Board Approves 2009 - 2010 Budget

At the March 26 meeting, the Roanoke County School Board adopted the fiscal year 2009-2010 budget totaling $137.9 million. Early on in the budget process, it was quickly apparent that state funding would be significantly lower than previous years. Roanoke County Public Schools staff gathered and reviewed numerous suggestions from Principals, employees, the Employee Advisory Committee, and the general public to identify budget reductions that would least impact classroom learning activities while trying to protect employee jobs.

The general fund budget for FY2009-10 reflects revenues based on aid for education in the state budget approved by the General Assembly on February 28, 2009 and subject to approval by the Governor in April 2009. The general fund budget of $137,909,128 reflects a decrease of $5.3 million or 3.7% under the preceding year. The revenue changes include the following:

Decrease in state funding of $7.4 million.
Decrease in the local appropriation from the County Board of Supervisors of $1.7 million per the joint revenue sharing formula.
Decrease in other revenues of $123,795 primarily related to interest income and tuition revenues.
New this year—Increase of $3.8 million (net of $1.1 million designated for school modernization projects) from federal stimulus funding in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act approved by the federal government on February 17, 2009 and applied by the General Assembly to balance the state K-12 budgets. Final guidance on the requirements and restrictions for the use of this stimulus funding is pending from the federal and state governments.

“Although the federal stimulus money provided some welcome relief, significant budget cuts were still needed to balance the budget,” said Penny Hodge, Assistant Superintendent for Finance.

In order to address the substantial reduction in revenues, expenditure reductions were evaluated based on the least impact in the classroom with a focus on keeping classes smaller and avoiding layoffs of full-time employees. Part-time employees and grant funded positions are year-to-year positions and these positions were reduced first.

The general fund budget reflects significant adjustments and reductions in spending including the following:

Salaries are frozen for 2009-10.
Health and dental insurance premiums will remain the same for 2009-10.
Closing of Roanoke County Central Middle School - program moved to other middle school buildings ($780,000 savings).
Reorganization of Bent Mountain Elementary staffing ($169,644 savings) – the school will remain open.
Extension of existing early retirement program with limited fillings of subsequent vacancies ($571,739 savings).
Elimination of 12 positions in Central Office and reorganization of duties ($700,000).
Staffing changes to retain lower class sizes ($2,380,000).
Reduction in non-classroom positions in excess of SOQ including guidance, library, secretaries, aides, maintenance, and custodial staff ($1,054,199 savings).
Reduction in the laptop computer funding stream of $1,260,500, which eliminates the annual replacement of approximately 1,300 computers; places refurbished 12th grade laptops on carts for 9th grade classroom use and maintains take-home laptops for grades 10-12.
Elimination of proposed new teacher degree plan that had not yet been fully funded or implemented ($574,948).
Utility savings from mandatory 4-day week in all school buildings during summer months ($45,000).
Elimination of elementary SAP program (non-grant funded $70,000 savings)
Reduction in summer school program ($56,000).
Elimination of calendar/magnet ($37,000).
Increases in fuel and utilities ($1,009,332).
Restoration of $671,290 to the Emergency Contingency after returning $1,000,000 to the Board of Supervisors to offset local tax losses incurred in FY08-09 that had been previously shared with the School Board during the FY08-09 budget process. The Emergency Contingency will have a balance of $1,671,290 in FY09-10.

“We worked very hard this year to recommend cuts to the School Board in ways that would not diminish the instruction taking place in the classroom, and, at the same time, avoid eliminating full-time personnel,” said Dr. Lorraine Lange, Roanoke County Public Schools superintendent. “This was one of the most difficult budgets I’ve ever had to work on,” Lange said.

“I’m very proud of the long hours of work my fellow board members as well as Dr. Lange and her staff have put into preparing this budget. I also would like to thank the principals, teachers, members of the Roanoke County Education Association, parents and students who came together to find solutions. In all my years serving on the school board, we’ve never been in as tight a financial situation as this. I think we are very fortunate to be able to adopt a budget that doesn’t involve layoffs,” said Drew Barrineau, Roanoke County School Board chairman.

“It is still possible that further adjustments could be made before Governor Kaine signs the state budget in April or when the final guidance is released on the requirements and restrictions tied to the federal stimulus funding. If that happens, the budget will be revised and submitted to the School Board for another adoption,” said Hodge.

School boards across the state are required by Virginia code to adopt an annual school budget by April 1 of each year.