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New budget
tops school
board agenda
By Galen C. McBride
Rappahannock News Staff Writer
County school superintendent Dr. David Gangel presented an overview of the proposed FY98-99 school budget at the school board meeting held at Rappahannock County High School on March 10. Key line items included salary increases for teachers and administrative staff, repairs to both the high school and elementary school, and expansion of the high school.
With a 23 percent increase of nearly $290,000 available from the state due to a change in the Composite Index, Gangel aimed to “get all operational funds in the budget, including debt service, without increasing local taxes.” Federal funds have also increased by nearly 13 percent, or $31,681. These are tied to specific programs and cannot be used for general expenses. Therefore, some capital needs, what Gangel termed “a bricks and mortar investment,” will require separate funding. If approved by the board of supervisors, school renovations and an architectural engineering study for the high school will likely be funded out of bond proceeds or tax increases.
Both the superintendent and members of the school board stressed the need to continue to raise salaries across the board. “If you are looking for excellence in any organization,” said Gangel, “it boils down to people. We must attract and retain the best possible teachers. We must look at the entire region (for comparison). We are below the average salary in every category in every five-year increment we looked at.” Despite this, students are “on or above grade level in testing,” Gangel said.
Gangel and the school board budget subcom-. mittee drafted the budget plan based on former Governor George Allen’s budget proposal, Governor James Gilmore’s amendments, and the House and Senate bills which are not identical. He estimates
See BUDGET, Page A8
95.7%