School budget approved by board of ed.

Members were waiting to hear from Annapolis

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Superintendent of Calvert County public schools Jack Smith presented his proposed budget earlier this year. However, financial troubles on the state level left both Smith and board members wary of approving a budget that could potentially change.

School staff has gone through the newly approved $186 million budget with a fine-toothed comb after receiving $35,000 less than originally anticipated from the state.

Smith said all areas of focus in the original draft were still a priority including maintaining well-paid, highly-skilled staff, reasonable class sizes, and safe and orderly schools, including the newest addition, Barstow Elementary School.

Smith said Thursday that the approved budget ‘‘reflects the core values of the school system.”

As a result of budget cuts throughout the state, Calvert County public schools reduced its staff by 18 regular education staff and 13.5 instructional assistants. Budget restraints were also the cause for no new school system initiatives for the coming year.

The board of education will forward the approved budget to the Calvert County Board of County Commissioners for a final approval in the coming weeks.

While the 2009 budget has taken some fine tuning, a closer look at the current budget had Kevin Michaels, acting director of school operations, asking the board for an inter-category transfer of funds.

According to Michaels, the transportation portion of the school budget by law has to stay at a positive balance.

As of March, transportation is short by $95,000.

With rising fuel costs, more than $4 a gallon for diesel, Michaels has requested a transfer of $300,000 from the school operation’s category into transportation to keep this portion of the budget balanced.

Michaels said the money would come from areas of school operations that currently have a surplus.

Michaels proposed to the board that $150,000 be taken from money budgeted for telephones and an additional $150,000 from electricity funds. Both of these areas, according to Michaels, are in good standing for the remainder of the year.

The school board approved the transfer which would put $230,000 into contracted bus routes and $70,000 towards special education transportation as these are the two areas hit hardest.

Michaels said he would like to get the request sent to the Calvert County Board of County Commissioners as quickly as possible.

‘‘I see no other options,” Michaels said of the need for a transfer.

Fuel costs have hit hard on many areas of the economy affecting more than just transportation.

Donald Knode, director of food services for Calvert County public schools, said this is the first time in the 10 years he has worked with the school system that the economy is affecting lunch and breakfast sales.

According to Knode, projections show school meal participation down 35,000 meals for the year at lunch and 8,000 breakfast meals over last year.

In addition to reduced participation, Knode said cost of food delivery has increased in order to accommodate rising fuel costs.

Knode said he predicts food services would not fall into the red but would face tough times over the next couple years.

He said the department is currently faced with as many as seven different factors playing into the decline of sales.

Knode said he and his staff are brainstorming different ideas on how to alleviate the matter but right now he said he plans on ‘‘weathering the storm.”