Bedford schools wrestle with pay cut idea

BEDFORD — Facing community pressure to not consolidate two elementary schools asprojected budget cuts loom, some Bedford school officials say they would support studying “across the board” pay reductions for employees.

The Bedford County School Board agreed Thursday to offer an anonymous paper survey to all workers in the division — which employs 1,700 people — to see how they would view a potential decrease in pay of 1 to 4 percent.

The school system faces at least a $7 million shortfall in Superintendent Douglas Schuch’s proposed 2010-2011 budget but that number could grow by several million if Gov. Bob McDonnell’s state budget stands.

Schuch did not provide an exact estimate to school board members Thursday of how much the division could lose in the governor’s proposal. “We may need to cut deeper to make the budget this year,” Schuch said.

Recommendations so far in his budget, which needs board approval, include the layoffs of 124 full-time positions and the closures of Body Camp and Thaxton elementary schools. Those schools would be reconfigured into preschools under the plan that has angered residents of those communities, who flooded Thaxton’s school earlier this week in protest.

Dave Vaden, the board member who represents Body Camp, said he could support up to a 4 percent pay reduction for employees if it means saving jobs.

He said he thought a pay reduction would be less “disruptive” than layoffs and school consolidations.

“We haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of potential savings,” Vaden said. “I think there are alternatives to people getting pink slips.”

Several other board members disagreed on cutting pay, saying that employees’ salaries already rank among the lowest in the region and some workers make less than $20,000 a year.

Gary Hostutler, the board member who represents Forest, referred to it as a “cop-out.”

“Putting all this burden on our employees — I don’t think that’s fair,” Hostutler said. “We’ve got tough decisions to make and cutting pay is the easy way out.”

A 1 percent pay reduction to the entire school system could save about $625,000, said Randy Hagler, director of finance.

School officials are hoping a voluntary retirement incentive program, which would offer up to $15,000 for eligible employees, will minimize layoffs. A campaign is under way to get feedback from interested teachers and employees.

Schuch has said classroom sizes are going to get bigger, fees may be levied on activities and employees stand to start contributing 1 percent of their pay to retirement savings.

“None of this is easy,” Schuch said of the changes.

“My greatest fear is we have to look at things as drastic as consolidating schools and drastic pay cuts,” Chairwoman Debbie Hoback said.

Bedford County Public Schools, along with many other school systems in the state that could lose a combined $116 million in funding, supported sending a letter to McDonnell urging him not to change the local composite index. The index is a formula used to determine state funding to schools based on a locality’s ability to pay — more than 90 school systems stand to lose funding if the measure remains and nearly 40 would gain.

School officials in Lynchburg and Campbell County also supported the letter to McDonnell.

Bedford’s next school budget work session is set for Wednesday. Schuch is set to meet with county supervisors Monday to discuss funding issues.