School budget session tonight
The Middlesex County Board of Supervisors and county school board will hold a joint budget meeting tonight, Thursday, March 18, at 7 p.m. at the historic courthouse in Saluda.
The school board has proposed a $14.2 million 2010-11 (FY11) school budget.
The operational portion of the budget is $11.68 million, which represents a decrease of 2.12% over the current FY10 budget.
The budget calls for an additional $520,000 in local funds, primarily due to a projected loss of about $738,000 in state funds.
School superintendent Rusty Fairheart said the proposed FY11 school budget includes $398,925 less for instruction than the current year.
The majority of funds saved was due to the state reducing the amount the school system has to pay into the Virginia Retirement Service (VRS) for its employees.
Also, one teaching position at Middlesex High School has been eliminated.
There is also a reduction in instruction because a student needing special education services is no longer in the school system, said Fairheart.
There is a decrease of $26,689 in the budget for administration, attendance and health. The maintenance budget also is down $23,061. These decreases were due to the reduction in the VRS payments for personnel, said Fairheart.
Debt service is down $25,253 in the proposed budget, and technology is down $7,816.
A 1% pay raise for school employees is proposed in the budget.
