Board of Education opts for ‘discretionary' budget cuts

The Alleghany County Board of Education approved discretionary cuts during a Sept. 1 called meeting. The discretionary cuts were part of the budget cuts that earlier were addressed by the board.

Superintendent Jeff Cox and School Finance Director Cindy Holder went over a document that was recently sent to the State Board of Education. The first column of the document, titled "Initial Allotment," included $4,171,074 for classroom teachers, $62,835 for textbooks, $563,118 for central office administration and $12,083 for non-instructional support; $451,835 for school building administration, including principal and assistant principal; $538,128 for instructional support, $30,231 for driver training, $633,954 for career technical education month of employment; and $29,369 for career technical education program support; $406 for school technology; $1,457,885 for small county supplemental; $9,074 for mentor pay; and $533,340 for teacher assistants; staff development and low wealth supplemental had no monies allocated, while $802,518 was allocated for the children with disabilities line item; and $72,775 was allocated for the academically gifted line item; $123,268 for limited English; $349,891 for transportation; $92,864 for classroom material; and $276,618 for at-risk student services, bringing the total initial allotment amount to $10,211,266.

Because the school system does not include charter schools, the total initial allotment funds remain the same. The LEA adjustment, $236,853, is comprised of $217,500 from the classroom teacher line item and $19,353 from the teacher assistant line item.

The final column of the document, titled, "Allotment After LEA Adjustment" is comprised of $62,385 for textbooks; $3,942,522 for classroom teachers; $563,118 for central office administration; and $12,083 for non-instructional support; the school building administration line item remains the same at $451,835; the instruction support, driver training, CTE month of employment and CTE program support remain the same at $538,128, $30,231, $633,954 and $29,369 respectively; school technology, $406; school county supplemental, $1,457,885; mentor pay, $9,074; and teacher assistants, $513,987; the staff development and low wealth supplemental line items had no monies allocated; $802,518 was allocated for children with disabilities; and $72,775 was allocated for academically gifted.