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CALHOUN SCHOOLS FOLLOW FUNDING FORMULA - Problems Down The Road |
| (04/25/2003) |
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Cash-strapped county school systems in West Virginia will have to come up with extra money next year to pay teacher
salaries not covered by the state. Education officials predict that most counties are likely to exceed the funding limit set by the state and will end up hiring teachers out of their own pockets. Calhoun County will not be in crisis since Superintendent Ron Blankenship has followed the state funding formula, reducing personnel when necessary. It is known as "the RIF" - a reduction in force. Calhoun Middle/High School principal Mike Offutt says the school is still able to maintain all the electives, although two teachers were reduced in the middle school. The state's funding allows 53 teachers and 34 service personnel for every 1,000 students. It has remained at that level for more than a decade. The state has been losing school-age population for several years. In Calhoun, the numbers are scary, with a current 4th grade population of less than 50 moving toward graduation. Superintendents and county school officials contend the state's funding is unreasonable. Kanawha County, the state's largest school system, will start next year with 30 employees more than the state will fund. Monongalia and Marion will both have more than 100 extra teachers and service workers. Money for extra positions must come from local funds, such as excess levies. State officials advise against it. Rural counties with long bus rides find it necessary to hire more drivers and have more buses, which hurts the formula mix. For several years efforts have been made to separate bus drivers and service personnel from the overall formula. That has not happened. Monroe County officials say they have longer bus rides because they've had to cut back on service personnel, even though the system does not allow long rides.
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