Powhatan School Board says salary cuts possible

Members of the Powhatan County School Board say although they want to avoid salary cuts, the economic situation means the possibility must be considered.

Board members said during a workshop Friday that they would rather make an across-the-board salary reduction than cut jobs. The system has about 4,500 students and 745 employees.

School officials continue to struggle to slice $3.3 million from the $43.1 million budget being developed for next year. They have already outlined $2.3 million in cuts and now have about $1 million more to trim.

But officials said they have been making cuts based on numbers from Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's budget proposal and are increasingly worried they could face deeper funding reductions once the General Assembly finishes its budget process.

Consequently, School Board Chairman H.A. "Rick" Gideons said the board may have to look at reducing salaries. Gideons said that, should reductions occur, they would be "from us to the lowest paid."

Gideons said employees have told him they would rather take a salary cut than lose jobs. Tanja Atkins-Nelson, principal of Flat Rock Elementary School, said conversations she has had with other system employees prompt her to agree. "Anything we can do to save jobs," she said.

A 1 percent salary reduction would mean a savings of $338,000, while a 2 percent reduction would mean a $677,000 savings, said Paul Imig, assistant superintendent for finance and business operations.

This year's budget is $46 million. The $43.1 million budget being developed anticipates level funding from the county and a $1.5 million reduction in state funding.

A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for tomorrow, and the School Board will meet with the Powhatan Board of Supervisors on Thursday. School officials now say the system cannot make a proposal until they receive final state funding figures.

"There are situations that are beyond our control," Superintendent Margaret S. Meara said.

The system plans to eliminate 12 positions through attrition and next year will abolish the practice of transporting children across attendance lines to day care.

Meanwhile, the system is looking at everything from raising rental fees for using school facilities to dropping the practice of door-to-door stops in subdivisions where neighborhood stops can be safely developed to having employees double up at times when a co-worker is out sick.

Officials are even considering curtailing out-of-district sports activities and raising the cost of breakfast and lunch for students.

In addition, the system is looking at contracting out custodial work, a move that could save as much as $400,000. Should it contract out the work, the system would require that the company retain the system's employees and their level of pay.

"What we want to look at is where will the employees be in the end," Meara said.

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