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| County superintendent expects to lose at least 89 positions |
Anthony Jackson |
Friday, February 5, 2010
By PAUL COLLINS - Bulletin Staff Writer
Henry County Schools could lose 89 positions, and possibly more, next fiscal year.
Schools Superintendent Anthony Jackson made that announcement Thursday as he gave a budget update and presented two budget scenarios to the county school board.
One of the scenarios includes a recommendation Jackson made to the school board last month to consolidate Irisburg and Axton elementary schools on the Axton site, and close the Irisburg site and close the schools’ South Martinsville facility. Departments housed there, such as maintenance and operations, nutrition services and adult education, would be moved elsewhere.
Under that scenario, there would be a net loss of 89 positions (130 positions would be cut and 41 would be lost through attrition). The positions that would be cut include 75 teachers at a savings of $3,890,448.75; 16 administrative positions at a savings of $1,095,028; and 39 support positions at a savings of $735,231.
The 41 positions that would be lost through attrition include 16 licensed/classified positions that are vacant and would not be filled; 15 licensed positions that would be lost because of projected retirements, resignations or licensure problems; and 10 classified positions that would be lost because of projected retirements and resignations.
A document presented to the board did not give a specific figure for how much attrition would save.
Licensed positions include teachers and guidance counselors, said Melany Stowe, spokesman for the school division. Classified positions include tutors, aides, bus drivers and other nonlicensed personnel, she said.
In addition to the staff reductions, program consolidation and elimination would save a projected $1,337,000, according to the document, which indicates the total of all those savings would be $7,057,708.
The second budget scenario suggests budget cuts without consolidating Irisburg-Axton elementary schools and without closing the South Martinsville facility. Under that scenario, a net 104 positions would be lost (145 positions would be cut minus the 41 positions that would be lost through attrition), according to the document.
The positions that would be cut include 90 teachers at a savings of $4,668,538; 16 administrative positions at a savings of $1,095.028; and 39 support positions at a savings of $735,232.
In addition to the positions cut or positions lost through attrition, other program consolidation/elimination would save $700,000. The total of all those savings would be $7,198,798, according to the document.
Additional cuts would not be needed to balance the budget under either scenerio if projected state budget cuts do not change, according to Stowe.
Under state budget cuts proposed by former Gov. Tim Kaine, the county schools will lose a total of about $8 million during the rest of this fiscal year and fiscal 2010-11 and 2011-12, Jackson has said.
However, Jackson told the school board Thursday that there are indications the state may make even greater cuts to schools.
A public hearing to receive input on the proposal to consolidate Irisburg and Axton elementary schools effective July 1 is scheduled for 7 p.m. Feb. 22 at Axton Elementary, according to a board document.
Stowe said that Jackson has asked the school board to consider the proposal at its meeting March 4. The board’s decision for or against the consolidation will guide the development of the proposed fiscal 2010-11 budget that Jackson will present to the school board.
Stowe said the school system has 1,268 full-time and 423 part-time employees for a total of 1,691.
The total 130 positions that would be eliminated under the budget scenario reflecting the school consolidation would be the equivalent of about 10 percent of the school division’s full-time work force or about 7 percent of the school division’s total work force .
The total 145 positions that would be eliminated under the budget scenario without the consolidation would be about 11 percent of the division’s full-time work force or about 8 percent of its total work force.
The total number of positions to be eliminated includes those that would be lost through attrition.
Jackson said the school division is being forced to make cuts. “Ultimately it’s going to come down to the (school) board making some hard decisions,” he said.
He also noted that the school division does not yet know how much the county appropriation to the school division will be for fiscal 2010-2011.
Kathy Rogers, school board chairman and Collinsville District representative, described the school division’s budget situation as a “perfect storm,” with declines in state revenues and increases in expenses, such as retirement, insurance and fuel costs.
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