The Patrick County School Board approved its revised fiscal year 2024-25 budget at a meeting on Thursday, June 13.
Schools Superintendent Jason Wood said the revised budget sees an increase of Required Local Effort (RLE) and Required Local Match (RLM) of $225,806 from the county to the school system.
“That has been communicated to the county administrator. We had a discussion about the current compromised budget, which we’re working under where we provide an SRO (School Resource Officer) reimbursement,” he said.
In the revised school budget, Wood said there is an increase of SRO reimbursement by an additional $100,000, “which would bring the SRO reimbursement up to $375,000.”
This adjustment makes the county’s new RLE and RLM to the school system $7.2 million instead of the $6.98 million that it previously approved.
“So, you can see that increase of $225,000. We’ve increased our SRO reimbursement, so it should not be as large as a financial burden for them to adjust their budget to meet that Required Local Effort and Required Local Match,” he said.
The new net contribution from the county after the SRO reimbursement is $6,831,79.
Wood added a budget amendment letter will be sent to the county administrator to notify them about the new school budget.
“The rest, we’ve updated the revenue sheets so you can see a year-to-year comparison. The state, after COVID, has made a conscious effort to invest more money in public education, and I think that is a great and wise investment to meet the needs of all students, especially the students we have here,” he said. “They should not be shortchanged or receive anything less than other school divisions are getting.”
Noting there’s always discussions on how the school division is actually using its budget, Wood said the division follows state recommendations.
“Instruction should be 60-65 percent, and I’m proud that ours is 65 percent. We’re putting more money in instructing kids,” he said.
The state recommends 10-15 percent should be used for facilities and maintenance, and county schools use 11 percent, Wood said, adding that the transportation budget is seven percent, higher than the state recommended of 3- to 5- percent.
“Your funding’s based on enrollment. You can imagine a school division that has a similar enrollment is in nine square miles outside of Richmond, they get the same amount of funding we do for all the square miles we have to cover in Patrick County. So, yes that is over the guidance, but it has to be due to our geographic constraints,” he said.
The division’s technology category is six percent, higher than the recommended 3- to 5- percent.
“We are a one-to-one school division, so that is slightly above,” he said.
The administration category should be 6-10 percent of the total budget. The county’s school system is at six percent.
“I’m proud to say ours is at the bottom end of that. We are not heavily staffed with administration and positions that would fall into that category,” he said.
Rob Martin, chairman and of the Dan River District, said he gets a lot of questions from the public about budget increases.
“That again is kind of out of our control. That is based on the total enrollment of students that we have and then based on the guidelines that Richmond sends to us. This is not a number we’re pulling out where we’re wanting more money or anything. This is the bare state basics for the enrollment that we have for the Required Local Effort and Required Local Match,” he said.
“We are actually reporting a decline in enrollment,” Wood said.
In other matters, the board:
*Recognized retiring staff who have worked in the division for a combined total of 241 years.
*Approved a resolution honoring Woolwine Elementary School for receiving the Highest Achievement Exemplar Award. Woolwine is one of the 37 schools in the state to receive this award.
*Heard the superintendent’s report.
*Approved the consent agenda.
*Approved the 2024-2025 consolidated federal programs application as presented.
*Approved the 2024-2025 Title III statewide consortium application.
*Approved permission for the superintendent to authorize payment of any invoices received that are necessary to close out the 2023-2024 school year.
