Schools seek $3.2 million from county

Alleghany County Board of Education plans to make a $3,217,848 budget request to the Alleghany County Commission for the 2007-08 fiscal year, according to a discussion on the matter during the board's April 5 meeting.

The proposed budget was presented by Finance Officer Cindy Holder. The budget request is $765,601 over last year's adopted budget of $2,452,247. The capital outlay request proposal of $1,373,606 shows a significant increase over last year's proposal of $863,469 (which included a one-time $400,000 allocation for a new school bus garage).

The members of the board accepted the proposal and moved that Superintendent Jeff Cox share a copy of the proposal with County Manager Don Adams.

In a synopsis of the proposal, Cox noted to the board members, "Though this budget represents a significant increase over fiscal year 2006-07 local funding...proposals include only the requests currently needed, at a minimum, to operate and advance Alleghany County Schools."

Six items on the fiscal year 2007-08 current expense budget proposal are marked as "new." Two of these are listed under regular instructional, the first being middle school positions (new programs) for a total of $150,000, which accounts for three positions. A second line item under the same subhead, K-5 Spanish teacher, noted a $35,000 expense. A third item, $35,000 for ASU Gear-Up Continuation Salaries are designated as "required." Two items were under the subhead of Maintenance of the Plant, groundskeeper with a request of $27,452 including benefits, and three summer helpers totaling $9,533 plus benefits. The final item marked as a contracted "new budget request" is a $10,000 mowing contract for Piney Creek and Glade Creek. Several items in the proposed budget are requesting an average of 5 percent increase. These are: instructional personnel (a total of $332,623, an increase of $15,839 as compared to last year's adopted allocation of $316,784), grades 7-11/alternative teacher, ($42,000 compared to $40,000), substitute and proctors for state testing ($2,812 compared to $2,678), substitute teachers ($4,498 compared to $4,284), and homebound tutors ($4,867 compared to $4,635), Cyber classroom personnel ($45,794 compared to $43,613).

Holder later commented that the 5 percent instructional increases are in accordance with state guidelines.

Items in the proposed budget marked as "tech request" include: ink, toner and other tech consumables ($9,000, a $1,000 increase over last year's adopted allocation of $8,000), teacher assistant technology facilitators stipend ($2,000), computer and Cyber Campus maintenance ($15,000 compared to $12,000), Internet access telecommunications ($25,000 compared to $20,000).

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