$8,000 school board training trip at center of Bedford County school budget debate

With emotions high in Bedford County over tough budget issues that could lead to closing elementary schools in Thaxton and Body Camp, some residents have demanded higher taxes to aid public schools.

Others say school officials need to do more to cut spending in other areas — a sentiment shared by supervisor Annie Pollard, whose district includes Thaxton.

One example Pollard recently brought up at a supervisors’ budget work session was a trip the Bedford County School Board took to Williamsburg.

All eight school board members, Superintendent Douglas Schuch and the board’s clerk attended a three-day workshop that was part of the Virginia School Board Association’s annual convention in November. Expenses totaled about $7,500 and included lodging, meals and travel, according to information disclosed by school officials through a Freedom of Information Act request.

“My thing is cut out what you can,” Pollard said Friday, adding the county government has tried to position itself to brace for shortfalls due to the economy. “They should have started preparing for this two years ago. You just can’t raise taxes when we’re all in a slump … that’s the time to clean house. And I don’t think closing schools is where we need to be looking.”

Kelly Harmony, a Thaxton parent, filed a FOIA request seeking information related to the Williamsburg trip. She recently told supervisors that school officials’ spending habits will mean similar problems in future years, whether taxes are raised or not.

The Bedford school division was among a high number of school boards and staff within the state’s 134 divisions that attended the convention in Williamsburg, said Barbara Coyle, VSBA deputy executive director.

The purpose of the numerous sessions associated with the three-day gathering, Coyle said, was to help school systems comply with a state law that requires school board members to receive training.

David Black, who has served eight years on Bedford’s school board, said the convention is helpful in getting new members familiar with issues. It includes many different training topics that can be covered in a short period of time, he said.

“It’s very beneficial to see what others are doing,” Black said of learning from other school systems. “It gives you good ideas.”

Lynchburg City Schools had four school board members along with Superintendent Paul McKendrick present at the convention, said schools spokeswoman Leigh Farmer. Campbell Schools’ Superintendent Robert Johnson said officials from Campbell County attended, too.

Pollard said she understands that school board members must have training, but added, “I don’t think you need to stay in Williamsburg several days for that.”

The total lodging for the board’s stay at Williamsburg Lodge was nearly $4,800. Schuch’s proposed budget says the division would lose $7 million in revenue from state and federal sources and receive $600,000 less from the city of Bedford, though the numbers could change depending on a final state budget.

He recently told supervisors the division has looked under every “nook and cranny” to find savings, but more than 75 percent of the schools’ budget is related to salaries and benefits, which means the bulk of cuts has to come from there.

School board members Dave Vaden and Shirley McCabe, who represent the Thaxton and Body Camp communities, have asked that the board go through every line item in the budget to search for savings. Vaden, for example, questioned if school employees should be using cell phones.

Another area that Pollard said merits a closer look are the salaries of central office administrators.

“I believe it’s our responsibility as elected officials to monitor taxpayer dollars,” Vaden said last week at a budget session. “We’re asking families to tighten their belts.”

Other board members said they should rely on staff in leading them through the budget during meetings. Schuch said at last week’s budget session that he receives e-mails and phone calls, and all suggestions are taken seriously.

“When it’s all said and done, we’re still back to, we have a lot less money than we’ve ever had before,” Schuch said.