No action on school budget
The Patrick County School Board took no action May 9 on the proposed 2013-2013 education budget, which still faces a $228,696 deficit on a list of required items.
The Patrick County Board of Supervisors' "consensus" on providing level funding to the school board is not sufficient for school board action, according to Dr. Roger Morris, division superintendent.
"We have not received any official notification" from the board of supervisors, Morris said. "We can't take any action until they act."
Morris said the budget needs to be completed as soon as possible so employee contracts can be awarded for the coming school year.
"We're at a standstill at the moment," said Blue Ridge District school board member Ronnie Terry, board chairman, who serves on the budget committee with Dan River District member Quinn Brim, vice chairman.
The committee met recently and made some tentative cuts, reducing the cost of required items to $108,165, but needs to meet again "to go over some other things," Terry said.
The four items considered requirements are $82,756 as the local share of a 2% salary increase for all school employees, with the state contributing $257,991; $75,000 for new science textbooks to meet state Standards of Learning; $35,000 for increased costs of fuel and school bus tires; and $35,940 to replace that amount of reduction in federal funds to special education programs.
Morris said the school board still expects to give the 2% pay raise because it is "tied to state funds."
The budget committee will meet at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, May 16, in the school board office. The first hour is expected to be spent in closed session and the meeting will be opened at approximately 4:30 p.m., Terry said.