The Powhatan County School Board yesterday trimmed $96,000 from its proposed budget but left intact funding that gives the system’s employees at least a 2 percent raise.

The reduction was accomplished by the decision to forgo $53,000 in security cameras for some of its schools and by shifting Michele Wilson into the position of School Board clerk and abolishing the recently vacated position of secretary to Superintendent Margaret Meara. Wilson is currently a budget analyst.

The Board of Supervisors this month allocated $45.1 million to the School Board, as well as $1.3 million for the school food-service fund. At the time, the supervisors asked the School Board to trim $350,000 from its proposed budget while maintaining 2 percent raises for teachers. The system accomplished much of the reduction by cutting an elementary foreign language teacher’s position and cutting a high school vocational education position.

“There is nothing left, and we’re cutting things we desperately need,” Board Chairwoman Valarie C. Ayers said.

The School Board voted yesterday to provide its employees with 1.5 percent raises. The raises, coupled with the step increases that teachers also receive, will mean raises of 2 percent to 4 percent. The average will be a 2.8 percent raise. Only a few will receive 4 percent, school officials said.

The system will purchase the security cameras if there is enough money left after all the needed teachers have been hired for next year, Meara said.

If there is any surplus from the current budget, the system will ask the Board of Supervisors to return the money to the schools. The system ordinarily makes such a request, and the supervisors usually comply, though this year no surplus is expected.

“If there is $1 or $5 or $10 or $1,000, I’m going to ask them,” board member Heinrich A. Gideons said.

Jamie C. Ruff is a staff writer for the Richmond Times Dispatch