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Goochland school leaders weigh insurance cost-sharing, targeted raises in budget workshop
Summary
At a budget workshop, staff outlined three insurance cost-sharing proposals, recommended a 3% baseline salary increase plus targeted raises for certain administrative positions, and discussed transportation staffing and capital priorities as the division balances roughly $1.27M in starting funds.
Goochland County school leaders on Tuesday discussed a series of budget options that would affect employee pay, health benefits and staffing priorities as the division prepares for a public budget presentation.
Staff opened the budget workshop saying they were "still budgeting with an assumption of 3%" for pay increases and that a county transfer figure remained in flux. The presentation compared health-insurance premium costs across nearby divisions and offered three cost-sharing proposals for any premium increases.
Why it matters: decisions this board makes will affect take-home pay for staff, the division’s ability to recruit and retain teachers and drivers, and the affordability of family coverage for employees.
Staff said Proposal 1 would split any premium increase evenly; Proposal 2 — the staff-preferred option — would raise premiums $50 a month and have the division pick up $25 of that increase for employees. "Premium goes up $50 a month, and I'm gonna take on $25," the presenter said while describing Proposal 2. Staff estimated Proposal 2 would reduce the division’s net cost compared with an even split, and presented per-employee examples to show what open-enrollment choices would mean for workers.
On compensation, staff recommended a 3% across-the-board baseline increase and additional, targeted increases for certain groups. The proposal would add 4% on top of the 3% baseline for principals and assistant principals and 2% for coordinators and directors to move those roles closer to median market pay. Staff said these adjustments aim to address retention and recruitment gaps, especially for leadership and specialized roles.
Transportation staffing and pay were also raised. Board members asked whether staggered school start times cause drivers to perform double runs and how many full-time drivers the division employs. Staff said the transport pool includes roughly 45 drivers with about 15 full-time drivers on six-hour contracts and noted market pressure that has pushed discussions toward a $25 hourly minimum for some positions.
Other items discussed included permanent substitutes versus hiring benefits-bearing positions, earmarked at-risk funds for intervention roles, and capital requests moved from the CIP — including bus purchases and fire-panel replacements. Staff described a potential maintenance/work-order tracking system (one mid-priced option quoted at about $20,000) to protect warranties and manage inventory at a new school.
What’s next: staff will return for a further budget workshop next Tuesday (and a public budget presentation was scheduled for Feb. 3 in this room). No formal budget votes were taken at this meeting; the board repeatedly requested more detailed line-item figures and percentage comparisons to evaluate trade-offs.
