Prince George school budget holds down spending

PRINCE GEORGE -- Prince George schools plan released

The Prince George County school superintendent last night proposed a budget that would eliminate 18 positions, including nine teaching jobs, and reduce spending on supplies and materials.

All 18 positions to be cut are existing vacancies or will be vacant because of retirement or resignation, Superintendent R. Francis Moore said. The job reductions will result in nearly $1 million in savings, he said.

The proposed $60.15 million operating budget represents a slight increase over the current budget and reflects a drop in state revenue, Moore said.

The plan does not include any pay increases for staff and postpones the opening of an early-childhood center because of budget constraints, he said.

Additionally, the school system plans to save $118,000 by reducing part-time staff and substitute-teacher hours. Other cuts will be made in technology repairs and replacements, fuel, travel, materials and supplies.

The school system, however, plans to add an assistant principal job at the elementary school level, an art teacher and two bus drivers who will be needed because of increased enrollment.

Under the budget, the system also plans to buy 10 school buses.

The spending plan includes $2.5 million in projected federal stimulus money. Without the stimulus funding, the operating budget would have been smaller than this year's budget of $60.13 million.

More than $41.9 million of the next fiscal year's budget will be used for instruction, about $850,000 less than in the current budget.

"The theme of this budget is maintaining excellence during tough economic times," Moore said.

The system is seeing increased enrollment from a growing Hispanic population and from the expansion of Fort Lee because of military base realignment, Moore told members of the School Board and several residents and school employees at last night's meeting.

The school system's enrollment this year is 6,130 and is expected to increase to 6,225 next year.

The School Board is scheduled to vote March 30 on the adoption of the budget.

Contact Luz Lazo at (804) 649-6058 or .