After one month on the job, Goochland School Board Chairwoman Beth Hardy is proud of the board’s work so far.

“We produced a balanced budget –which I believe is the first time in I don’t how many years that the school board has produced a balanced budget within the prescribed appropriation of the board of supervisors,” said Hardy. “That in and of itself is kind of a big deal.”

The 2012 Goochland School Board was faced with a daunting task, with all five districts represented by a new member after the November election.

Decades of experience on the board left with the defeated incumbents and the new members had to learn the ropes at the same time they faced a deadline of Jan. 31 to complete a budget.

So they started in December. Early in the month the school board-elect invited the public to a public meeting with Goochland Superintendent Linda Underwood. Hardy called it at the time an “orientation for both the members and the public.”

It was that meeting that gave rise to the new board’s moves to change the organizational chart, said Hardy, a process that is continuing.

“There was all this hodge-podge cobbled together of functions,” said Hardy. “In looking at it, literally getting cross-eyed, we thought, there’s got to be a better way.”

That better way led to the new school board making some basic changes, at the same time making the board’s meetings more accessible - they’re now live streamed on the schools’ Web site.

They voted to create a new assistant superintendent of schools for operations, while eliminating the directors of elementary and secondary education plus the student services specialist.

Throughout the month Hardy has repeated the two basic themes that drive the new school board, streamling administration and operations and focusing on the classroom.

“It’s a delicate balance,” explained Hardy. “Administration supports teachers.”

As far as the school administration goes, Hardy said the board is still looking at all positions. 

“The reorganization is not done,” said Hardy, explaining that there may be more consolidation possibilities.

As for focusing on the classroom, Hardy pointed out the added funds for stipends for lead teachers, added funds for sheet music and tuition reimbursement for teachers. The budget also adds a math/english teacher at GMS and a special education teacher.

Some decisions have not been easy.

Despite opposition voiced at two meetings, the board voted unanimously to continue with their plan to outsource custodial services.

“The general feeling is the outsourcing was the right thing to do,” said Hardy, who said that the board is looking to put out a new Request for Proposals (RFP) that hopefully would produce a better outcome for the outsourced employees.

“ If we can effect a savings while treating people well, that’s the goal,” said Hardy.

This Tuesday (Feb. 7) a strange thing will happen - the school board will not meet!

It will be a welcome break for the members, who have been working at a pace that Hardy called “unsustainable.”

But next week they will be back at it, with a joint meeting with the board of supervisors set for Monday, Feb. 13 and a regular school board meeting on Tuesday.

The meeting Feb. 13 will critical, said Hardy.

“It’s very important to build credibility and trust with the board of supervisors.”

If a comment from one of the supervisor’s is any indication, the new school board is well on its way to building that credibility.

At last week’s budget meeting, three supervisors were present.

At the end BOS chairman Ned Creasey noted the change from last year, when the two boards were at odds with each other.

“It’s different this year,” he said.