School Board approves budget in Prince George

PRINCE GEORGE -- The Prince George County School Board last night voted unanimously to approve a $60.15 million budget for the 2009-2010 school year that eliminates 18 positions and reduces spending in other areas.

The 18 positions, including nine teaching jobs, will be eliminated through attrition or are currently vacant, saving the school system $979,253. There also will be no pay increases for school system staff.

The budget now will be submitted to the Prince George Board of Supervisors.

After the School Board's vote on the budget, Chairman R.E. "Bobby" Cox Jr. expressed relief.

"We're glad that this is behind us," he said.

The budget includes level funding of $13.3 million from the county, but 68 percent of the system's funds come from the state. Board member Roger Franklin emphasized that point before the vote.

"The county portion is $13 million, and we greatly appreciate that, but there always seems to be some concern that the local taxes are covering the full amount," Franklin said. "Just bear in mind, that's not the case. We appreciate what our citizens have provided to us."

The budget, which is increased slightly from the current year's budget of $60.13 million, calls for the addition of an assistant principal and a full-time art teacher at North Elementary School and two bus drivers because of increased ridership and an anticipated increase in enrollment from 6,130 this year to 6,225 students next year.

The budget includes $790,000 -- an increase of $150,000 -- to purchase 10 school buses, nine of which will be used to replace current buses.

Schools Superintendent R. Francis Moore said there was one change to the budget that was presented at a public hearing on March 19: the continuation of the school system's summer fine-arts academy.

Moore said about $13,000 was moved from the contingency fund to the instructional category to fund the academy. "

The budget calls for the school system to save $118,000 by reducing part-time staff and substitute-teacher hours. Other cuts are being made to technology repairs and replacements, fuel, travel, materials and supplies. The budget also reduces funding to the Rowanty Technical Center by $19,513.

Contact Jeremy Slayton at (804) 649-6861 or .