JONESVILLE — The Lee County School Board faced a $1.5 million budget shortfall for the upcoming school year. Thankfully, with careful planning, program cutbacks, and the addition of federal stimulus money, no positions will be lost in 2009-10.

At this point, $45,594,876 is budgeted for the 09-10 school year, not accounting for the additional money coming from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which includes Title 1 and special education money. Superintendent Fred Marion said those funds would come at “a later date.” The Board at Tuesday night’s meeting approved to send the 09-10 budget to the Lee Co. Board of Supervisors for approval. If they have recommendations, it will be sent back to the Lee Co. School Board for revision.

According to Virginia Governor Tim Kaine’s website, Virginia school systems will receive approximately $730.4 million in K-12 education allocations in fiscal stabilization funds which will be distributed to Virginia school divisions by formula based on the federal law. The Commonwealth is also receiving $281.4 million in funding for special education.

Marion said that he had heard Lee Co. would receive $788,000 in additional Title I money and $562,000 in Special Education and IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) money.

Marion said that the school system will also receive $1,988,000 for construction funding, adding, “we don’t know the details yet.”

Marion said that with the budget prepared now, all positions will be maintained and no one will lose their job from budget cuts.

“If you check the budget of the 2009-2010 and make a comparison to the 2008-2009 budget, you’ll see we have decreases in almost every category,” said Marion. He said he expects federal stimulus funds to total roughly $1,600,292.

“But that still leaves us a little over $800,000 short,” noted Marion. “It is a barebones budget. There are no raises in this...budget.”

Marion also said there would be no STEP increase.

“In the past few years, we have been fortunate” to give raises, said Marion, adding that in 2006-07 employees got a 4 percent raise, and last year, a 5 percent raise. “But at this time, at this point, it’s not built into the budget,” he said.

Stephen Woodward is a Staff Writer for the Daily News. He may be contacted at swoodward@middlesborodailynews.com.