Superintendent frames levy, warns personnel costs drive budget; district ranks 57th in per‑pupil spending

Superintendent Sheena Van Meter told the Hardy County Board of Education on Monday that declining enrollment and high personnel costs are central drivers of the district’s fiscal pressures and said the board should consider running a levy to maintain services.

In a presentation the superintendent said the district’s total budget runs roughly in the mid‑$20 million range with about $20 million going to personnel, and that staffing makes up the vast bulk of recurring expenditures. "Your personnel costs are 80 to 90% of your expenses. We're just over 80. We're just about 81% of our overall budget," she said, urging careful staffing decisions and close collaboration between the superintendent, the fiscal officer and the board on budget monitoring.

Van Meter outlined common fiscal tools and practices — monthly budget reporting, budget retreats and careful monitoring of reserve/cash flow — and told trustees the district must know which positions are legally required and which are discretionary when planning cuts or changes. She emphasized that some funds (for example Title I) are restricted for particular staff and cannot be repurposed for other positions.

The superintendent distributed a state report on per‑pupil expenditures for current operations that highlighted Hardy County’s rank as 57th in West Virginia, a point she used to argue the district is managing funds tightly compared with some peers. Van Meter said the figure discussed was about $13,000 per pupil for the referenced year; she and trustees noted that county comparisons can reflect differences in funding formulas and enrollment counts.

Van Meter framed running a local levy as a practical measure to offset formula shortfalls: "If you're not running a levy, you should be trying. If your levy's failing, you should be revamping and trying again because you're not going to continue to make it on just your regular formula," she said. The board scheduled a quick June 15 meeting to accept levy rates following the levy vote.

The presentation also noted ongoing external risks (fuel and food price volatility, competition from school-choice options) and described sample operational choices districts use to balance services, such as shared halftime positions to preserve programs while reducing cost.

The superintendent’s remarks set the financial context for the board’s later votes on policy, procurement and personnel during the same meeting.