Propose

Propose

school budget

is $4.4 million

County s tab would

rise by $413,500

By SHARON KILPATRICK

Rappahannock News Staff Writer

Every budget is based on a philosophy, whether stated or not," School Superintendent David Gangel said as he presented a $4.4 million budget for fiscal 1989-90 to the school board Tuesday evening. This represents an increase of 12 percent above this year's $3.8 million.

Although state funds to support the budget are up seven percent, or $95,224, the federal contribution has dropped 11 percent ($29,085). The bulk of the funds needed to make up the deficit will have to come from an increased local contribution. The county's share of the budget will increase by 21.5 percent, or $413,586.

Ot the increase, $103,132 is for debt service as the first regular payment comes due this year for the high school addition. Another $88,500 is the estimated cost of acquiring property for the proposed middle school.

Most areas are holding constant at their current level," he said. "However, three areas have been lifted out to be improved. The first is instruction; the second is salaries; and the third is fringe benefits. In addition there are mandates that have to be met.”

Instruction remains #7 priority

“Instruction is number one in everything we do," Dr. Gangel said. One area of instruction to be improved in the new budget is implementing the seven-period day at the high school, which will add $10,000 to the budget to pay five teachers an additional $2,000 each for teaching six periods a day.

Two other areas of instruction scheduled for improvement are handling all of Rappahannock’s trainable mentally retarded (TMR) high school-aged students at RCHS and offering remedial education to students who have fallen behind grade-level in kindergarten and first grade. Studies show that remediation is more effective when it is started as early as possible. Dr. Gangel said.

See BUDGET, p. 18