Schools feel squeezed by inflation

Beneath Franklin Elementary is a buried fuel tank that is no longer needed with the conversion to natural gas. The school system had requested $40,000 in their next budget to remove the tank.

Surry County Schools are seeking funds to replace out of date fire panels, like the Faraday MPC 2000 Fire Alarm panel as seen. Before ceasing operations in 2017, Faraday was up to the MPC 7000 model fire panel. Siemens bought out the company, and ended production of fire panels in 2015.

Surry County School Board member Dale Badgett listens while Dr. Travis Reeves of Surry County Schools speaks about his budget proposal to the Surry County Board of Commissioners, Thursday, April 27, in Dobson.

Caps, gowns, tassels, and a few tears have already been spotted at high school campuses around the county as the school year has reached the end of the line. While seniors finish their journey and spread their wings, preparations for the next school year are nearing their completion as well.

Surry County Schools submitted their its proposal to the Surry County Board of Commissioners for the next school year. Deliberations are underway for the system's budget request of $13,168,000, which is up $1.6 million from last year when the school system was allotted $11,549,925.

Surry County Schools are led by superintendent Dr. Travis Reeves who told the board, "With your help, Surry County Schools has been able to meet the academic, social and emotional needs of our students and staff while also adhering to our mission: Designing Dreams, Growing Leaders."

He is in an interesting situation though as the county population continues a slow shrink, so does the headcount at Surry County Schools. While it is a small change, estimated at 36 students, it means there is less money being given to the county from the state for the 7,152 students in county schools.

The county has fewer residents, the system has fewer students, and with the county's tax rate remaining at 0.552 cents, there is less money to pay the bills but the cost of doing business has been on the rise.

School systems are no more immune to inflation than any other business, and with numbers in hand, Reeves said they were feeling squeezed from inflation. He laid out what many already know: costs across the board have gone up since the pandemic.

In 2021 he was paying $2.08/gal for gas and, on the day, the current amount was $3.49/gal.

Converting schools to natural gas has been in progress for some time and Franklin Elementary and North Surry High got on the Frontier gas line expansion in that part of the county. Costs are up here as well with the 2021 rate at $2.91/therm up to $3.43/therm currently. A therm is a measure of heat energy which is used to represent natural gas consumption.

Duke Energy is proposing a rate hike and Reeves said that could equal another 17.9% on the school system's power bill meaning it will cost much more to power the same number of classrooms which have fewer students in them.

Atop that, costs on the supplies to fix aging HVAC, refrigeration units, and electrical wiring have gone up in the range of 25-45% Reeves said, and he reminded the board, "The age of our buildings is showing."

Additions to the proposed budget include $600,000 to complete roofing projects at Flat Rock Elementary and East Surry High School as well as $40,000 to remove an underground fuel tank from the ground of Franklin Elementary.

Eight schools need fire alarm replacements with Dr. Reeves saying the panels in place are out of date, the one at Shoals Elementary is older than some of the teachers on staff having been installed in 1993. Repairs are being made by used components from alarms replaced by other districts, but such a supply of hodgepodge parts will run dry at some point, so Reeves wants them replaced.

He also requested an additional $315,000 for a litany of paving projects and $25,000 to remove three leased mobile classrooms from White Plains Elementary.

The board of education also requested $800,000 in supplemental appropriations to provide, in part, a local employee supplement for PreK certified teachers who were excluded from state supplement. That exclusion did not sit well with Reeves who said they are part of the team and deserve a supplement too.

The request marks an increase of $500,000 from last year's supplemental request and after the PreK supplements, funds would be utilized for additional local supplements for classified and certified staff, with the remainder going to matching benefits and the utility increases.

The system's increased costs in retirement matching and in the employer State Health Plan expense, and a 3% cost of living salary increase will yield an additional $270,000 in additional costs.

Since the 2008 school year the Surry County Schools have seen a 200.98% increase in their costs to retirement expenses, and 77.94% to health insurance.

Another $170,000 in additional operational expenses due to inflation are being budgeted for as well. Totaling those increases to retirement and state health plan matching, salaries, and inflationary pressure on operations mean that Surry County School need an extra $440,000 just to break even.

The system has capital needs including repairs to carpets, floors, and windows at the schools and the budget seeks $1.04 million to make those; an increase of $235,980 from the previous year. A modest increase of $66,000 for funding of the increasingly popular Surry-Yadkin Works was included, taking that total to $266,000.

Reeves said the time has passed for the county to address the issue of the bus garage so that employees can work on buses inside; the estimate to accomplish this is $10 million. Currently, buses do not fit into the work bays meaning no protection for workers from the elements, he called this a safety hazard for his employees.

While Surry County Schools are asking for $1.61 million more than last year, Reeves noted the system's funding has cut costs by $3 million over the past six years and found ways to cut costs at central office already.

With inflation still a concern and an ever-growing demand for more security at all public schools, Reeves said his system simply needs more money.

He is thankful for what the system has been able to accomplish in recent years with help of the board of commissioners such as renovations at Dobson, Franklin, and Mountain Park elementary schools. "We have seen a shift in school culture where students, staff, and parents are proud of their newly renovated classrooms and schools."