Lynchburg City Schools Superintendent Paul McKendrick said Thursday that he is not proposing any pay cuts for employees and that he will try to find alternatives to cuts and fees for athletic programs.
McKendrick’s budget proposals do include cuts to employee benefits in several categories. McKendrick said that he is proposing a school calendar with fewer days for teachers and employees next year as a way to give something back, given those benefit cuts.
At a school board work session Thursday, McKendrick said that he may reverse proposals to eliminate middle school sports and charge fees for high school athletic participation. During the last school board meeting Tuesday, several school board members asked McKendrick to look at possibilities to keep at least some middle school sports in some form.
McKendrick said Thursday that he had given the issue more thought and now feels that he wants to take a detailed look at division athletics programs before instituting cuts or changes. He said he does not yet know where he might find additional money in the budget, but that if he can do so, he will save any possible changes for next year, when he thinks the school division will likely be facing cuts again.
In general, McKendrick signaled he felt the division’s athletic programs merited more time and consideration from the school administration.
“I have spent so much time these past few years on academics, but there is another part of schools ...” McKendrick said.
School Board member Charlie White said he liked what he heard from McKendrick on all counts.
“It’s all I can do to not stand up and cheer,” White said. “I couldn’t agree more.”
Other school board members took the opportunity to share their own thoughts about division athletic programs. Several said they wanted to see what could be done to boost parent participation.
The School Board will vote on a budget at the school board meeting March 23.
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