School system requests a 25 percent hike in county funding

The Alleghany County Board of Education agreed to propose a $2,392,427 budget request from the county for the coming fiscal year during its April 5 meeting.

The proposed budget was presented by Finance Officer Karen Leys. The budget figure is about 25 percent higher ($473,202 more) than last year’s approved allocation of $1,919,225. The capital outlay request proposal was $728,935.

Board members opted to hold a special-called meeting April 10 — prior to the joint meeting with the commissioners — in order to further discuss the numbers. The figures were then approved at the second meeting.

Meanwhile, at the April 5 meeting, Leys said, “The finance committee has taken the recommendations that came from the schools as far as what each individual needs felt like the budget needs were. The finance committee tried to take into account the requests of all the schools and begin to sort those out and prioritize what we felt like might be reasonable to request to the county commissioners.

“We started the process back in December and this is our end result,” Leys continued. “Everyone has had an opportunity to express themselves and the needs of the school system financially.”

Three line items in the expenditure report were marked as “new.” These were two middle school vocational education teachers; an alternate teacher; and UNC GEAR-UP continuation salaries. These requests total $171,083. Meanwhile, the committee allocated a 25 percent increase; from $52,500 to $65,625, for heating fuel. Electricity is marked for a 10 percent increase. Items marked for a 5 percent increase are an assistant principal position and worker’s compensation insurance. Line items noting an average 5 percent increase are instructional personnel, substitute and proctors for state testing, substitute teachers and homebound tutors. Positions marked to receive a 3 percent increase are a clerical position at the central office, secretaries salaries in the principal’s offices, janitor’s salaries, bus driver salaries, maintenance salaries and community schools. The line item, Transportation Information Management Systems Clerical, is slated for a 3 percent plus actual increase which means a salary increase based on experience, according to Leys.

Capital Outlay

Leys proposed a $728,935 allocation for the capital outlay budget, which includes a number of items that were not requested during last year’s proposal. At the high school, requests include a $20,500 allocation for a new roof; a $5,100 allocation for an old gym door replacement; $8,000 worth of renovations in the new gym; and $45,000 to replace half of the bleachers in the old gym. At Sparta, requests include $2,900 for the replacement of auditorium doors and $34,000 worth of auditorium repair and waterproofing. Several requests were made for Glade Creek, including a “sad item,” Leys said. The item, budgeted at $15,000, is a one-year classroom trailer lease and setup.

“It is sad for me to think we have to put a trailer at any of our schools,” Leys said.

However, the trailer is deemed necessary to allow an additional classroom for rising fifth grade students at the school.

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