Lynchburg School Board considers cutting 83 jobs

The Lynchburg School Board may eliminate more than 80 positions next year, including 31 teaching jobs and 18 teacher assistants.

The cuts were recommended by Superintendent Paul McKendrick at a meeting earlier this week as part of a multi-pronged plan to close a projected shortfall of $5 million.

Other aspects of the proposal included a one-day furlough and elimination of tuition reimbursements for teachers who go back to school. It also called for a 10 percent across-the-board reduction in the budget for the central administration office.

“I don’t like having to make such deep cuts,” board member Al Billingsly said in an interview Thursday. “… But, when you’re short $5 million, something’s got to give.”

The school board debated McKendrick’s suggestions at length during a work session Tuesday, but made no formal decisions. They’re expected to vote on the budget next week.

The elimination of 31 teachers is expected to save the district around $1.5 million, according to an analysis by The News & Advance of figures provided by the schools. Officials hope the bulk of the jobs can be deleted through attrition and retirements. The General Assembly is currently considering legislation that would allow school boards to begin offering early retirement incentives. The bill is strongly supported by Lynchburg City Schools.

A formal district policy mandates that layoff decisions be based on seniority. Should the school system begin hiring again in the future, all previously fired employees are to be first in line for the new jobs.

In addition to the teachers lost, officials propose cutting 42 classified positions, a designation that includes teacher assistants, bus assistants, custodians, clerks, and employees in transportation and maintenance. The plan also calls for 10.5 administrative jobs to be axed.

Overall, officials are proposing to cut 83.5 positions for a total savings of about $3.2 million.

Another $1.8 million would be found through a series of smaller measures ranging from the unpaid furlough (expected savings of $354,078) to slashing the library budget by a third (savings of $51,500).

McKendrick said each cut was chosen during a detailed budget examination aimed at cutting costs while retaining school quality.

“Each of them was a gut-wrenching decision,” the superintendent said during an interview Thursday. “Some of these are programs that have been with us for awhile.”

He added that the current economic crisis — which is affecting revenues at all levels of government — left the district with no choice but to become “leaner.”

School leaders had at one point entertained the idea of imposing pay cuts as a means of minimizing job losses. The proposal drew mixed reaction from employees and school board members alike.

During a series of budget meetings, teachers pleaded with officials to protect their jobs and salaries. McKendrick said such cuts would be unavoidable, given that personnel costs make up 80 percent of the school system’s budget.

The final proposal made Tuesday minimizes pay cuts. The one-day furlough recommended would cost the average teacher one half of 1 percent of their salary, officials said. For the school board, it was perhaps the one bright point in an otherwise grim picture.

“I take great pleasure and comfort in that,” member Leslie Faircloth said during the session Tuesday. “The only comfort I’ve found in this whole process is that.”

Chairwoman Julie Doyle said officials looked for savings outside the classroom first when making their recommendations and attempted to ensure that no one group of employees was made to bear the brunt of the cutbacks.

Officials are still considering making some minor changes to the budget numbers, including imposing new student fees and slicing off some of the school board’s budget.

Lynchburg’s board members are not paid, but do have a pool of $33,000 to spend on training, travel and consultant fees. Doyle, who pushed for a cut in that line item Tuesday, said she realized it would be a minor savings but felt it was important that the board do its part.

On Thursday, Doyle said she was “fairly comfortable” with the balance struck in the superintendent’s proposal.

“These are hard decisions, but we have to do a little bit of everything in order to get to that big number,” she said.

The school board is scheduled to approve its budget proposal Tuesday. All funding levels within that document will be contingent on final appropriations from the federal, state and local government.

Lynchburg City Schools is considering making the following cuts to next fiscal year in order to close an expected shortfall of $5 million:

$3.2 million Elimation of 83.5 employee positions

$668,844 10% cut in central office budget

$354,078 One-day furlough

$180,000 Building security

$138,000 Delay in purchase of new textbooks

$116,000 Elimination of tuition reimbursement for teachers

$66,597 Reduction in supply allotments to schools

$51,500 Reduction in library allotments to schools

$39,755 Reduction in capital allotments to schools

$30,000 Reduction in drug testing

$28,500 Drop EAP