Programs eliminated in Appomattox schools

A budget passed by the Appomattox County School Board on Thursday eliminates adult education, middle school sports and pre-school classes for 4-year-olds, among other programs.

During and after the meeting, many school board members, school officials and teachers expressed frustration with the level of funding approved by the county board of supervisors.

Superintendent Dorinda Grasty said she chose to focus on the K-12 mission of the school division when deciding what to cut and tried to keep as much in state matching funds as possible.

The $18.7 million operational budget is about 7 percent less than last year’s $20.2 million budget. It includes more than 20 position cuts, some of which will mean employees will lose their jobs.

School officials originally requested $4.3 million in funds from the Board of Supervisors. The supervisors cut $721,983 from that original budget request, though they later indicated they had found $200,000 to offset that cut, leaving a half-million difference from the school board’s original request.

Earlier this spring, school administrators believed that state cuts would not impact Appomattox as heavily as other area school divisions, in part because Appomattox County Schools will have more students than expected next year, helping with average daily membership funds.

However, school officials say they needed the county to chip in more money than last year at a local level, in order to be eligible for all the state matching funds. Now, the division faces losing state matching funds in some areas.

“It’s not our school board, it’s our supervisors,” said Barbara Montgomery Hudson, a teacher assistant at Appomattox Primary School, explaining that she felt the choice by the supervisors would hurt the area. “I know times are tough, but, gee — it’s the future of our county.”

Adult education teacher Mary Jo Pulliam also said that she blamed supervisors, not school officials, for the loss of her program. The adult education program helps county residents, some of whom are laid-off furniture factory workers, earn general education diplomas or acquire other skills, such as learning how to read in some cases.

“My students are some of the ones who pay some of the taxes and they are going to be left out in the cold,” Pulliam said. “I have no idea what their options will be. They are adults most at need.”

Some of the many other cuts in the Appomattox County School Board’s 2010-2011 budget

Elimination of:

• Early Reading Initiative incentive fund and program
• Algebra Readiness matching incentive fund and program
• An Assistant Principal position at ACHS

Other changes:

• Reduction of course offerings at Appomattox Middle School and Appomattox County High School, due to positions being unfilled.
• Increased class size, due to fewer teaching positions.
• Employees will pay the difference in the health insurance premiums