Cumberland School Board sends $16.6 million budget to Board of Supervisors

CUMBERLAND -- The Cumberland County school system is proposing a $16.6 million budget, Superintendent James Thornton says.

The 2009-10 budget adopted by the School Board on Monday is being sent to the county's Board of Supervisors for inclusion in the county budget.

The school budget calls for $4.1 million from the county, $10.6 million from the state and $1.9 million in federal funds. The county's allocation is the same level as last year.

The proposal is $407,738 less than last year's budget, but the schools were spared painful, deep cuts because of about $600,000 in federal stimulus money the system expects to receive during the next two years, Thornton said.

"It is some good money," Thornton said. "It will help us."

Before learning about the stimulus funds, the system had braced for the layoff of six employees.

The system is eliminating an elementary school assistant principal position and 16 assistant coaching positions from 17 sports programs, and it is mandating a 20 percent across-the-board cut in materials and supplies.

The assistant principal position is vacant, so no one is being laid off by the system.

But other positions that may have been cut -- including one middle school and one central office clerical position, and a full-time and part-time custodian position -- were spared.

Although employees are not receiving raises, the stimulus funds allow 14 teachers to receive a step increase of about $4,000, Thornton said.

The stimulus money could be used to bring back a first-grade teacher position as a pre-kindergarten teacher.

Thornton told board members that the specifics of some of the particular funds are unknown, but he hopes to have details for the board when it meets April 2.

Contact Jamie C. Ruff at (434) 223-3678 or .