Superintendent whittles $87,000 off budget by James Jacenich • staff writer
MONTEREY - Week two of negotiations is over and the Highland County school budget stands at $94,704 over last year. Just last week superintendent Gary Blair was asking for $181,000 over last year but, at the insistence of the school board, he made cuts from his initial estimate.
 | | School board chair Bobbie Hefner said she would support the superintendent's budget requests. "We want the best for our kids and employees," she said. (Recorder photo by James Jacenich) |
|
"This (revision) does not detract from instructional programs or services in any way," said Blair.
He eliminated a pay raise for support personnel to cut $43,000. Support personnel would still be in line to get a 3 percent raise, just like the teachers, depending on where they fall in the payscale. Their raise has not been permanently cut from Blair's plans, but is postponed. It may take several years to phase in what he calls a "fair and equitable system."
"It will take more time than anticipated to realign support personnel (compensation package)," said Blair. "It couldn't be done in a week."
Blair discovered there were different scales for different support staff.
The task ahead is to devise a support personnel system that acknowledges the fair market value of support, he said. "There are no studies on support personnel salaries in Virginia that I know of," said Blair.
"It will take time to establish steps as appropriate and if appropriate," he added. "I don't know what other schools do, what is fair. I need to look at other schools. This can't be done in a week. I also need to talk to our support personnel. I recommend we wait to make an informed decision."
Blair also eliminated a proposed instructional assistant position and to cut another $20,000. The position was aimed at the distance learning lab. Last week it was reasoned that a teacher position was not required in the lab, just someone to turn on the equipment and monitor the class. However, to save money, Blair said, "We can take care of this in house."
The rest of the cuts came from supplies and services: Summer school supplies and materials, $5,000; technology support and supplies, $8,500; and another $9,500 from contracted services and materials for gifted education, an Airline Slate from technology (acquired through a grant), vocational requests, and remediation.
The total cuts from last week's proposal amount to $87,000.
On the plus side, Blair adjusted the proposed supplement list. Class sponsors for grades 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 and the cheer club were added to the list of supplemental pay at Highland High School principal Randy Hooke's request. A supplement for an E-rate reimbursement coordinator was also added.
The base rates for the supplements are based on a percentage of a teacher's pay. The sponsors will get a supplement of 1.5 percent, the E-rate manager will get 3 percent, and the cheer club sponsor will receive a supplement of 2 percent.
Supplements range from 8 percent for the boys' varsity basketball coach to 1 percent for forensics and academic bowl coaches. "These adjustments stay within budget," said Blair.
The final amount the school will receive is still up in the air, and Blair hopes the final state budget will be approved this week.
The medical insurance premium is still an unknown, though bids will be opened later this week.
The 2006-07 budget was $4,160,773. The 2007-08 superintendent's proposed budget is $4,255,477.
"Thank you very much for trying to please us," said school board chair Bobbie Hefner. "We want the best for our kids and employees. I talked to (Highland County supervisor) Jerry Rexrode and said we want to bring this budget to the supervisors. This is what we want. He appreciates your efforts."
Member Vickie King clarified a statement attributed to her in last week's Recorder. King said teachers and support personnel should be compensated for years of experience. "I don't believe teachers with one year of experience should get the same as teachers with 10 years' experience," she said.
Teacher Winnie Richardson said she favored a step system based on experience for instructional assistants. "We can't live without our aides. They need some sort of (pay) scale," she said.
Instructional aides are required to have two years of college or pass a paraprofessional examination before working at the school.
Blair said he was not able to give teachers 35 steps on the teacher pay scale as the Highland County Education Association requested. The existing step system has 28 annual steps.
"There are other things we need to look at," said Blair, pointing to capital improvements and facilities. "We need to be fair and equitable," he said.
Blair likened the budget process to "putting a squid in a suitcase. Something always gets left out."
The superintendent's budget goes to a public hearing before being approved by the school board. Once approved, it will be presented to the board of supervisors.
Hefner said the public hearing will probably be held sometime in late March. The board's budget proposal goes to supervisors the first of April.
| 
