HomeMy WebLinkAboutJanuary 25 2012 Minutes of Work Session with School Boardi ■L0 0 H
A Work Session of the Frederick County Board of Supervisors and the Frederick County
School Board was held on Wednesday, January 25, 2012, at 5:30 P.M., in the First Floor
Conference Room, County Administration Building, 107 North Kent Street, Winchester,
Virginia.
PRESENT
Chairman Richard C. Shickle; Vice - Chairman Bill M. Ewing; Christopher E. Collins;
Charles S. DeHaven, Jr.; Gene E. Fisher; Gary A. Lofton; and Ross P. Spicer.
SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT
Chairman Stuart Wolk; Peggy Clark; Melvin Harman; Dr. John Lamanna; Michael Lake;
Jody Wall; and Benjamin Waterman.
OTHERS PRESENT
John R. Riley, Jr., County Administrator; Kris C. Tierney, Assistant County
Administrator; Jay E. Tibbs, Deputy County Administrator; Cheryl B. Shiffler, Finance Director;
Jennifer Place, Budget Analyst; Ellen E. Murphy, Commissioner of the Revenue; C. William
Orndoff, Jr., Treasurer; Roderick B. Williams, County Attorney; Lisa Frye, Executive Director
of Finance for Frederick County Public Schools; Dr. David Sovine, Superintendent of Schools;
Al Orndorff, Assistant Superintendent of Administration; Peter Vernimb, Assistant
Superintendent of Instruction; Steve Edwards, Coordinator of Policy and Clerk to the School
Board; Kristen Anderson, Budget Supervisor; and Glenn Moreland, Supervisor of Media and
Technology.
CALL TO ORDER
Chairman Shickle called the work session to order.
Stuart Wolk, Chairman of the Frederick County School Board, thanked the Board of
Supervisors for meeting with the school board. He was pleased this year's budget came in as it
did (i.e. protecting staff). He went on to say there are other areas that they would not be able to
address in this budget. He then turned the presentation over to Dr. David Sovine, Superintendent
of Schools, for the presentation of his proposed budget,
Dr. Sovine presented his proposed FYI budget. He advised that his budget is based on
Governor McDonnell's proposed biennial budget. He noted that operating revenues were
projected to increase by $900,000 in FY 2013, but expenses would increase $5.4 million leaving
a shortfall of $4.5 million. He went on to say when developing the budget, he focused on:
Minute Book Number 37
Board of Supervisors Budget Work Session with
Frederick County School Board on 01/25/12
I
Downsizing with no or minimal involuntary separations;
- Preserving programs as best as possible.;
Preventing deferral of normal operating costs to future years, as best as possible; and
Setting the stage for recovery and addressing School Board priorities,
He explained the School Board approved a voluntary severance program to reduce the impact of
any involuntary downsizing that might be necessary to balance the budget. The proposed budget
would eliminate up to 42 full -time equivalent positions. He noted the budget could be balanced
with future attrition of up to nine full -time equivalent positions after the voluntary severances
and deferring bus purchases and technology upgrades.
With regard to the voluntary severance program, Dr. Sovine reviewed the payment
options, He proposed that the cost of the severance program be paid in a single year versus a two
or three year payout. The one year payout resulted in a savings of $200,000 over the three year
payout. He noted that this would require the use of FY12 surplus funds as well as the debt
service funds not needed in FY13 while relieving the FY14 and FY15 budgets from that
obligation.
Following some discussion, the Board of Supervisors endorsed the proposal to pay the
cost of the voluntary severance program in a single year by using surplus funds from FY12 and
debt service funds not needed in FY13.
Dr. Sovine advised the Board of Supervisors about using the school division's share
(57 %) of the additional $13 million county revenue projected for FY13 to reinstate the nine
positions to be downsized through future attrition. The amount would be $760,794. The Board
of Supervisors endorsed providing the school division with its share of the additional county
revenue projected for FY13.
Dr. Sovine then presented an overview of pupil- teacher ratios in Frederick County Public
Schools compared to other school divisions of similar size in Virginia.
Administrator Riley and member of the Board of Supervisors voiced their appreciation
for the school division's work in assembling a challenging budget.
The next budget work session will be held on Wednesday, February 8, 2012, at 6 P.M.
Upon a motion by Vice - Chairman Ewing, seconded by Supervisor DeHaven, the work
session was adjourned at 6:25 P,M,
Minute Book Number 37
Board of Supervisors Budget Work Session with
Frederick County School Board on 01/25/12
i.
Richard C. Shickle J h R. Ril , Jr.
Chairman, Board of Supervisors rk, Board of Supervisors
Minutes Prepared By:
Jay E. ib
Deputy Clerk, Board of Supervisors
Minute Book Number 37
Board of Supervisors Budget Work Session with
Frederick County School Board on 01/25/12