County, school leaders get down to numbers in Bedford

BEDFORD — With closures of two elementary schools no longer on the table, a more relaxed Bedford County Board of Supervisors discussed final numbers in the county’s proposed 2010-11 budget with school officials Monday.

Supervisors met with Superintendent Douglas Schuch and Debbie Hoback, chairwoman of the county’s school board, to review the schools’ $98.8 million plan, which underwent major revisions last week.

The county’s local contribution to schools is set at $36.2 million and is the division’s only funding source not to see a decrease from last year. Schuch told supervisors a $4 million shortfall is already expected for next year’s budget and he anticipates requesting more than level funding from the county.

Supervisor Steve Arrington said the county may “have dodged some bullets” this year but he expects a tougher budget year in 2011 and urged school officials to press hard for savings. Arrington also asked that school officials join an effort to consolidate health insurance for county and school employees.

There has been “a greater public awareness” in the past few months with school budget woes, Arrington said, and people desire cost savings from officials.

“They want us to tighten our belts and do the best we can,” said Supervisor Annie Pollard, who represents the Thaxton community. “I just don’t want to see a community torn apart by closing down a school, just like that.”

New revenues and lower expenses for the school division in the new state budget led school officials to drop a proposal last week that would have closed Thaxton Elementary School and Body Camp Elementary School next year.

The measure, which Schuch initially recommended to help offset what was feared to be a $7 million shortfall, received much public opposition in the rural communities of Body Camp and Thaxton and from two supervisors. The recent changes also mean not as many layoffs are expected, though Schuch said there would still have to be “involuntary” job cuts, and less drastic increases to classroom sizes.

Schuch said he understood the public outcry and that the two schools were chosen at the time as a way of “operating smaller schools efficiently.” There was capacity in nearby schools for the additional students, he said, and the division’s enrollment of less than 11,000 students has declined three years in a row.

School officials looked hard for savings but more than 75 percent of the budget hinges on salaries and benefits, not leaving much room for significant cutting elsewhere, Schuch said.

“We do want to dispel the myth there’s a lot of money sitting there,” Schuch said.

Schools’ spending is the largest line item in the county’s proposed budget, which includes an $83.9 million general fund. It takes effect July 1.

Supervisors are holding a public hearing on the budget April 5 at the Bedford Science & Technology Center in Bedford. The 7:30 p.m. meeting also includes a public hearing for all local tax rates, which are set to remain the same.

Supervisors are slated to adopt the budget on April 12.