After telling the school board members Monday that a recent change in the county’s composite index could translate into a loss of $356,000 in state revenue, Stables amended that figure Thursday to $750,000. He said he had miscalculated the effect of the new composite index rating of .80, the highest possible.

Coupled with a loss of more than a half million dollars in stimulus funds that won’t be available next year, a projected loss of more than $100,000 because of a downturn in sales tax revenue and a higher obligation to the Virginia Retirement System of over $400,000, the school system could be facing a deficit of over $1.5 million, according to Stables.

“We could be $1.5 million in the hole before we even get started,” said Stables. “It is the worst budget situation we have faced in 26 years. The composite index was the coup de grace.”

Stables said school administrators will be seeking financial advice from colleagues at the Virginia School Board Association meeting November 18-20 in Williamsburg and from the public over the course of the next few weeks. Budget workshops begin in January.

While Stables maintained that no personnel will be lost this year, he made no such promise concerning next year’s budget. He pointed out that salaries are 80 percent of the school budget, with most other costs fixed.

“The reality is that we are not going to be able to retain all our staff,” said Stables. “Eighty percent of the budget is personnel.”

Stables expressed concern about the dropout rate of 17.5 percent, which is double the state average. Stables said that figure is skewed because the state doesn’t credit the high school with students that drop out but end up getting their GEDs. Seven of 22 students who dropped out last year received GEDs, but were still counted as dropouts on the school records because they didn’t finish at the school.

Stables said school officials will be tracking all the students who drop out, or may drop out, to see what can be done to reduce the rate on a person-by-person basis. A new mentoring program for high risk students by teachers at the middle and high schools is also aimed at helping these students.

“Hopefully we’ll see some improvement there,” said Stables.

Stables reported the new school has some leaks around the high school tower and the doghouses on the roof. The contractor is scheduled to fix the problems as soon as possible. The final payment on the building contract is being withheld until all the problems are solved.

Supervisor Tommy Tomlin expressed frustration with the contractor and the lingering problems with the building.

“They are about as dilly dally as they can be,” said Tomlin. “It’s ridiculous. It’s interfering with the operation of the school. They should have done it right to start with. If a man brings a tube of caulking up to the roof you better run him off. They are going to try to patch it just so you will sign off on it.”

Stables assured him that they wouldn’t sign off or make the payment until everything was finished properly.

The supervisors held two public hearings and approved two items unanimously with little public discussion. The Reedville Fishermen’s Museum was granted a conditional use permit to use a classroom trailer brought from the high school for storage at property on Old Bethany Road outside of town.

Deborah and Frederick Marl of Arlington were also granted a conditional use permit to have up to eight horses and 18 goats on a 20-acre tract they own at 2398 Fairport Road. The farming with livestock application passed with no serious concerns.

The Marls must adhere to all environmental guidelines with regard to the animal waste produced by their intended herd of “horses of a retired nature” and goats to be used for “meat, milk and cheese,” as described by Deborah Marl.