Dinwiddie schools jobs, programs could be cut

DINWIDDIE -- More than 60 Dinwiddie County school-system jobs, including 27 teaching positions, would be cut under a budget proposed by Superintendent Charles Maranzano Jr. last night during a meeting with the county's Board of Supervisors.

In response to a $2.6 million loss in revenue, Maranzano unveiled a $39.6 million budget that would trim 63 jobs and several programs in a school system that employs 850 people and serves 4,600 students. He said the budget reductions would have a negative impact on "programs, personnel and, unfortunately, on the schoolchildren in our school system."

Programs that would be eliminated are the remedial summer school; Dinwiddie Academy, an alternative-education program for middle school and junior high students; and the Bright Stars preschool program for 4-year-olds considered "at risk" because of their family's income level or other factors. Cutting those programs would save the school system $627,944.

Before creating the budget, Maranzano said, he gathered input from administrators at each of the county's eight schools.

The positions to be cut, based on the superintendent's proposed budget:

Maranzano said losing teaching personnel would diminish student achievement as class sizes go up and teachers "are less able to give students the attention they need."

The proposed budget also calls for a $53,864 reduction in funding to Rowanty Technical Center and an undetermined cutback in funds to the Appomattox Regional Governor's School.

Possible alternatives to the budget cuts include freezing or reducing salaries; however, those measures were not included in proposed budget.

School Board Vice Chairman Gregory K. McCammon said that if school employees took a 1 percent reduction in salary, that would result in a savings of $358,918 and help save seven jobs.

"It's a valid option when you're sending seven people home. . . . Is that worth saving seven people's jobs?" McCammon asked.

School Board member Legert Hamilton said he is not ready to agree to lay off employees.

"If, during this time period, quality of education is reduced for our children, it will affect them throughout their lives," he said. "We're all in it together. We all need to sacrifice. As a leader, we should all share the pain."

Hamilton suggested that stipends for School Board members could be reduced.

School Board Chairman James C. Maitland said that if Dinwiddie reduces its salaries for school employees and other localities don't, "it will take some years to get caught back up. We'll be in trouble for a long time."

Many officials said the cuts, whatever they end up being, will have lasting effects on county residents.

"The decisions facing the School Board and the Board of Supervisors will affect the county five, 10 years down the road," said County Administrator W. Kevin Massengill. "It's awfully important for everyone who has a stake in this. . . . Get involved in the process."

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