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Commissioners OK $68,125 categorical transfer for Chesapeake Public Charter School
Summary
The Board of County Commissioners approved a $68,125 categorical transfer for Chesapeake Public Charter School to cover administrative, plant and personnel needs; school leaders said the money will fund an accountant role and operational needs amid a long waiting list.
The Board of County Commissioners of St. Mary's County voted to approve a FY2016 categorical transfer of $68,125 for Chesapeake Public Charter School on May 3, 2016.
School leaders told the commissioners the transfer would reallocate $65,000 in instructional salary savings and $3,125 in fixed charges into operating categories to support the school's fiscal and programmatic needs. Angela Funia, education director at Chesapeake Public Charter School, and Robin Behney, chair of the school’s governing board, said the largest share—$32,000—would fund an accountant position included in the FY2017 budget. The rest was described as $1,725 for student personnel-related payroll costs, $24,400 for operational plant needs and $10,000 for maintenance of plant, totaling $68,125.
The school described its program as a K–8 charter with an emphasis on the arts and environment and said it operates a modified year‑round calendar. Funia said students are admitted by lottery; she told the commissioners the school had about 426 students on its waiting list this year.
Commissioners questioned the relationship between the charter alliance (a nonprofit) and the county public school system, and asked why the school needed its own accountant given the school system’s accounting capacity. Funia said the accountant would help reconcile the per‑pupil allocations the alliance receives with the accounting standards required of the school system and the nonprofit, and to ensure transparency between federal reporting and the alliance’s records. Commissioners acknowledged the budget complexities of small schools and noted that salary savings can fluctuate with retirements and hires.
After discussion, a commissioner moved to approve the FY2016 categorical transfer of $68,125 and authorize the commissioners to execute the letter signifying the action; the motion was seconded and approved by the board.
The transfer will be recorded in the county and school budgeting records; the school said the accountant position also appears in its FY2017 budget.
