The Lynchburg School Board is expected to approve its 2009-2010 budget tonight, after delaying the approval pending final state funding figures.
What: Lynchburg School Board meeting
Where: School administration building, 915 Court St.
When: 5:30 p.m. today
For more information: www.lynchburg.org
The General Assembly OK’d a budget Sunday. Last week, prior to a final state budget, numbers continued to fluctuate so much that division officials didn’t take action. The most recent esti-mates placed the city schools in a position of closing a budget gap of about $4.3 million.
Before budget talks were tabled, division officials discussed eliminating as many as 80 positions, among the possible reductions were 31 teaching jobs and 18 teacher assistants.
Personnel costs, such as salaries and benefits, make up about 80 percent of the system’s more than $80 million budget. Because personnel is such a large part of the budget, officials have said cuts to personnel are unavoidable.
Board members had discussed how retirements might offset the number of employees possibly laid off. They talked in-depth about possible savings from an enhanced retirement incentive proposed for the state budget. The state Senate shot down that proposal over the weekend.
Other proposals to make up the city schools deficit include the elimination of tuition reimbursements for teachers who go back to school and a 10 percent across-the-board budget reduc-tion for the central administration office.
In addition to cutting teaching positions, city officials have also proposed cutting 42 classified positions, such as teacher assistants, bus assistants, custodians, clerks and employees in transportation and maintenance. The plan also calls for eliminating 10.5 administrative jobs.
Overall, possibly cutting 83.5 positions will amount to a total savings of about $3.2 million.
Once the school division’s budget is finalized it will then be sent to City Council, which appropriates about a third of the division’s budget.
Also, on the agenda for today’s meeting is a progress report on Play It Smart, the division’s new initiative geared toward helping at-risk student athletes. Board members are also expected to discuss new facilities rental rates.
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