CHARLES CITY -- The Charles City County School Board unanimously approved a budget last night that cuts 11 jobs -- including seven teaching positions -- because of decreased funding.

Charles City's total county budget for fiscal year 2009, adopted last month, provides the school system with $6.1 million in county funds, which is $1 million less than the school system had requested.

That left the school system with a total budget of about $13 million. The job cuts eliminate seven teaching positions, an administrative food-service job, a central-office administrative position and two staff support positions. One of the staff support positions is part time; the other jobs are full time.

The cuts eliminate about 6.5 percent of the school system's total work force of roughly 170 employees.

Officials have said the cuts would include some employees who have said they don't plan to renew their contracts at the end of this school year, and others who would like to keep their jobs.

School Superintendent Janet C. Crawley said last night that school officials will ask the Board of Supervisors to allow the school system to use a portion of school funds not spent this fiscal year to possibly save some positions. Crawley said she hopes two jobs could be saved.

The School Board's 5-0 vote in favor of the budget came after three residents urged board members against slashing teaching jobs.

"We have to think about our children and keep our good teachers," said Elenora Robinson.

Steve Fuhrmann said officials should cut administrators who make more than teachers.

"The School Board should act responsibly and leave no teachers and students behind, rather than leaving almost no bureaucrat behind as the school administration proposes," said Fuhrmann, who ran unsuccessfully for the School Board in November.

School Board Chairwoman Barbara C. Crawley said, "In my 10 years on the board, this has been the toughest budget year I have ever encountered."

The total county budget for fiscal year 2009 decreased by nearly 4 percent from the spending plan for the current fiscal year, which ends June 30. County officials cut the budget and raised the real estate tax rate, seeking to reverse a trend of dipping into the county's fund balance, as it has done every fiscal year since 2003.
Contact Reed Williams at (804) 649-6332 or rwilliams@timesdispatch.com.