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Wood County Board of Education approves funding reduction

Mid-year state budget cut cost district $517k

Wood County Schools Finance Director Connie Roberts spoke Tuesday to the Wood County Board of Education, presenting options for returning more than $517,000 in state funding due to mid-year budget cuts. (Photo by Michael Erb)

PARKERSBURG — The Wood County Board of Education will use technology and textbook funds to cover a half-million dollar mid-year state budget cut.

The school board Tuesday voted 5-0 to approve the move based on the recommendation of Wood County Schools Finance Director Connie Roberts and Superintendent John Flint.

In November, West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin announced across-the-board cuts to shore up the state’s budget, including a more-than $11.1 million reduction in the state funding formula. For Wood County Schools, the reduction amounts to $517,026 the district will have to return to the state. Last year, mid-year budget cuts cost the school system $529,894 in state funding.

“As part of the reduction, the state has given us the flexibility to use our unrestricted funds, or to use some of our restricted funds” which are allocated to specific items, such as equipment or professional development, Roberts said.

Among the restricted funds, $498,000 for bus replacement has already been allocated and $190,000 in faculty senate funds has already been distributed to schools, she said.

But Roberts said the district still has about $1 million out of more than $2 million in state funds allocated for textbooks, and increased a $930,000 technology allocation to $958,000 due to a carryover from last year.

Roberts recommended the board use those two restricted funds to cover the $517,000 reduction rather than dipping into the district’s $3 million contingency fund.

“My philosophy has always been you expend your restricted money first,” she said. “That leaves you with more flexibility if you need to spend additional dollars later from your unrestricted funds.”

Roberts also said the new fiscal year begins July 1, including a new round of funding for technology and textbooks.

“We’re not going to hurt our classrooms,” she said.

Board member Jim Asbury renewed calls for the school board to take a more in-depth look at the budgets of individual schools and departments. The board each year holds a workshop to review Wood County Schools’ $110 million budget, but Asbury said the board has little understanding or oversight of how money is spent day-to-day.

“I don’t think we truly look at our spending,” Asbury said. “We’ve never gone down to the school-level. Even tonight, this is a high-level cut.”

Roberts said there has been increased oversight and accountability for both schools and the central office in recent years, but said room for improvement remains.

Flint said the district has managed to reduce spending in multiple areas which has allowed the district to increase its savings from about $68,000 two years ago to now more than $3 million.

“It’s proven effective,” he said. “We’re really doing more with less. I’m proud of our people.”

“We wouldn’t be here today if we hadn’t already started” reducing costs and increasing efficiencies, Roberts said.

But Roberts warned Tomblin could call for another budget reduction if state revenues continue to fall, and in recent years the district has seen its state funding decline along with its enrollment.

“It’s going to require us to be more efficient because it is going to get worse before it gets better,” she said.

In other business, the board Tuesday approved Roberts’ retirement, which will take place at the end of the school year.

Roberts has been with Wood County Schools for 10 years, but has worked in education for 34 years. She spent three years as the assistant finance director for both Wood County Schools and RESA 5, and the past seven years as finance director for Wood County Schools. Prior to that, Roberts worked for 12 years as an accountant at Glenville State College and 12 years as the finance director for Calhoun County Schools.

Her last day will be June 30. Board members have called for a new finance director to be hired while Roberts is still with Wood County Schools so she can work with her successor to ease the transition.

The board Tuesday postponed a presentation of the 2016 Highway Safety Award to the Wood County Schools Transportation Department due to a scheduling conflict. Flint said the presentation will occur at the board’s Dec. 20 meeting.

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