The bad news is that positions have been eliminated in order for the school system to balance the budget for next year, and all schools across Virginia continue to wait for an approved budget from Richmond.
Waynesboro Schools Superintendent Dr. Jeff Cassell provided an update on the budget at the regular meeting last night of the Waynesboro School Board. He said indications are that the state will have an amended budget to its previously “skinny” budget after June 20.
“We’re just in a holding pattern to see what that looks like,” Cassell said of the state budget.
The school system will follow through with issuing contracts to new employees by the end of May.
Next year, teachers will receive a 5 percent raise.
“Doing so at the reduction of a number of positions, which we’ve been able to eliminate through retirements,” Cassell said of the positions eliminated. Resignations and transfers between buildings also helped eliminate positions.
However, July 1, when the next fiscal year begins, the school system will continue not to have a budget from the state so its budget cannot be finalized.
“I think that’s the troubling part is we’re going to start the year in July without knowing what our budget is,” Cassell said.
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Ryan Barber said the school board has 25 change of status requests to review to ensure personnel are where they should be in the school system.
“We are looking to be lean and efficient in the work that we do so that we can maximize the taxpayer dollars and the funds that we get from the federal government and from the state,” Barber said.
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Rebecca Barnabi
