BY STEPHEN H. COWLES/STAFF WRITER
Playback58@gmail.com

SMITHFIELD—The Isle of Wight County School Board on Thursday unanimously formally approved its fiscal year 2013-14 budget of $55 million, as well as the $24.2 million coming from the county. In a separate but related motion, the members all voted that $3.8 million in debt services would be taken off its list of expenses and moved to the county’s side, per an earlier agreement.

Reductions in staff and services are in store, but the actual numbers or kinds of losses is yet to be determined.

At the beginning of May, the school board responded to the county supervisors’ demand the $63.5 million budget be significantly reduced. To meet the requirement, school staff figured then that 48 jobs would need to be cut and the middle school iPad initiative be delayed.

The school board also OK’d teacher pay scales, payroll calendar and supplemented pay for extra duties.