Many 'ifs' in school budget

Madison County Superintendent Matt Eberhardt presented the school board an “unbalanced” budget for fiscal year 2012-2013 with no local increase in funding and a potential salary raise for employees. He did not say where he will come up with the money to make a balanced budget.

“This is an unbalanced budget. I am not sure if that has ever been presented to you before or not,” Eberhardt said during Monday’s regular monthly meeting at the school board headquarters off Fairground Road. “There are too many ifs out there now.”

Eberhardt added, “Worst case scenario, we use the governor’s numbers. I am not so sure how supportive the governor is of public education, but I believe that he believes he is a strong proponent of public education regardless.” 

The local funding would remain the same under this proposed budget at $8.6 million. The total budget would be around $17.6 million.

Eberhardt hammered the message that there is no local increase in funding. 

“There is no local increase in funding in my budget right now. The localities remain flat. There is no local increase in what I have placed in this budget. The increase is realized through a transfer of some federal dollars and the infusion of additional state funding.”

Eberhardt said the proposed budget would cover the increase in the Virginia Retirement System (VRS), so the employees don’t realize any reduction in salary.

It also covers an anticipated nine percent increase in health insurance.

It also includes a salary increase for employees. It could be a flat salary increase or it could be a bonus or incentive. He said he was hesitant to state a number, but did say there could be an average of a 2.7 percent salary increase.

A public hearing for the budget is scheduled for the next regular monthly school board meeting, which is set for 7 p.m. Feb. 13 at the school board headquarters (the former elementary school building off Fairground Road just east of U.S. 29).

In other matters at their Monday meeting, school board members:

*Voted for the reorganization of the board. Jeff Early remains the chairman and Jim Nelson remains the vice chairman. Doreen Jenkins was voted as the representative for the Piedmont Regional Educational Program and Tonya Taylor was voted as the representative of the Blue Ridge Virtual Governor’s School. Liz Patterson remains clerk of the board and Tina Cropp remains deputy clerk of the board. They will continue to meet the second Monday of the month at 7 p.m. at the school board headquarters. The only exception is they will meet the first Monday of the month in April, because of spring break. They also voted to additionally meet the fourth Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. at the school board headquarters if necessary.

*Voted to give 19 teachers who are eligible for retirement a $10,000 “incentive for retiring.” The money will come from a one-time $349,000 federal grant that has to be used on personnel and spent by Sept. 30. The eligible teachers have until Feb. 10 to let the board know they are interested in retiring and receiving the incentive. Board member Jim Nelson did not participate in the discussion or vote because his wife is one of the eligible teachers. “I think it is something that since it is a one-time only federal money that has to be used for personnel it can be something that can benefit teachers who worked hard and it can also benefit the community, the county, from a cost standpoint. It is sort of a win-win,” Chairman Jeff Early said.

*Unanimously approved a $12 million capital improvement plan that was finalized Oct. 26, 2011. The school board will meet with the Madison County Board of Supervisors for a work session to discuss the capital improvement plan 7 p.m. Jan. 25 at the school board office (Room 18).

*Discussed the school calendar for school year 2012-2013. One option would be to have two weeks for winter break and another option would be to always have the first full week in April be spring break.

*Unanimously approved supplemental appropriations for $14,104.76, which was an employee’s salary that was in escrow and $425,946.57, which is federal dollars that must be applied to this calendar year.  The money must be spent by June 30 on personnel. “I expect if the board approves it, that the board of supervisors will want to know in a detailed way what the school board is going to spend the money on. I intend to say to them it is federal dollars we intend to apply it to the federal line item and move federal dollars to FY 12 to FY 13.”

*Honored Madison County Public School student Rachel Yowell for organizing and collecting 593 pairs of shoes for the Soles4Souls Shoe Drive, to give relief to victims of abject suffering and help eradicate poverty. The shoe drive was part of her Blue Ridge Virtual Governor’s School project.