School Budget to be adopted on May 12 by BOS

On Tuesday, May 12, 2020 at 6 p.m., the Board of Supervisors will adopt a fiscal year 2020-2021 budget for the Botetourt County Public Schools. This does not include the county’s general fund budget or the tax rate. The County’s operational budget, capital improvement plan, and tax rates will be adopted at a later meeting.

The county’s portion of the school budget is expected to be $27,160,921. This is more than $700,000 over last year’s allocation of local funds for the schools.

Most of those additional funds occur in positions for Special Education due to the disbanding of the Regional Partnership, some school bus driver funding changes, an assistant principal for Colonial Elementary, Technology and interior items for the new Colonial Elementary School Scheduled to open in mid Fall. The totals are a little over 700,000.

State funding has been reduced according to the Calc Tool used by the school division said Brandon Lee Director of Finance. The Governor’s latest budget revisions on state education funds show a decided shrinking of available funds. All of the recution is a result oo the financial down swing in state revenues due to the Covid-10 pandemic.

The total school budget is expected to be $59,759,218. This includes funding from other sources, such as state and federal monies.

The school budget must be adopted by May 15 under state law.

The county’s budget committee met on Thursday, May 7, and concluded that the Board of Supervisors should allocate the school budget quarterly in the upcoming fiscal year instead of annually. This is because of the potential for the schools not to open as normal and because of the potential of decreased revenue due to the impact of the Covid-19 virus and the resulting economic breakdown.

The budget committee members estimated the county’s current employment rate is around 8 percent. This about what the county’s rate was during the 2007-2010 recession.

There was no discussion of the tax rate at the budget committee meeting. The budget committee scheduled another meeting for early June.

The supervisors’ meeting to adopt the school budget will be at Greenfield Education and Training Center. Physical distancing and other measures will be used to protect the health of the citizens in this virtual meeting. Board members and staff will not be present together in the meeting room.

Technology will be used to assist the public, staff, and the Board members to hold the meeting in as safe a manner as possible.

Those who do not want to attend in person and wish to listen to the meeting may call 1-540-300-9110 and enter the code 875778#. An automated operator will answer the call and provide direction. The line will be open beginning at 5:55 p.m. the evening of the meeting. This option is only available during the course of the meeting.

The continued meeting of the Board will not have a public comment period; however, anyone wishing to offer comments to the Board may provide written comments at any time through an online form available at: boco.community

Comments submitted through this form will be provided to the Board members and County Administration. It is encouraged that comments be provided as soon as possible and in advance of the meeting, if possible.

Lastly, comments can be sent at any time by phone at (540) 928-2006 or by postal mail to the County Administrator’s Office, 57 S. Center Drive, Suite 200, Daleville, VA 24083.

Comments on the County’s operational budget, capital improvement plan, and tax rates will be accepted until they are adopted, anticipated to occur in June

— Anita Firebaugh, Special to The Botetourt Bee with Cathy Benson, The Botetourt Bee and Icon photo: The Botetourt Bee