By PAMELA GOULD

Spotsylvania Superintendent Shelley K. Redinger is not considering outsourcing the school division's cafeteria staff, despite the need to make big cuts in next year's budget, spokeswoman Rene Daniels said Monday.

Redinger did not recommend that in her fiscal 2013 budget proposal and did not make that recommendation on Friday when she provided an overview of her plan to streamline the division for the 2012-13 school year.

However, the school division's cafeteria workers have become concerned for their jobs as a result of comments made by three assistant superintendents at Friday's budget work session with the School Board.

Cafeteria workers have organized a meeting with two School Board members on Wednesday afternoon at Spotsylvania Middle School to discuss their concerns.

Staff and the School Board were discussing spending for food service on Friday when Chief Financial Officer LaShahn Gaines brought up options, including whether the board wanted to look at a "full conversion" of employees to Chartwells School Dining Service, its contractor.

Assistant Superintendent for Administration Scott Worner then noted that it will take years before all division-paid personnel are off the food service payroll and said that cutting it off "makes fiscal sense."

Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Stephen Covert then offered that the board could consider selecting a date to end the division's staffing of food service and give staff time to shift to other jobs.

With Redinger's budget proposal $6.6 million over expected funding, the board is looking for ways to trim costs and deal with the escalating cost of employees' health premiums and state retirement contributions.

About 70 of the people who provide food service to students are school division employees. The remainder work for Chartwells. The division doesn't pay for any of the benefits of Chartwells employees.

On Monday, Redinger's office was seeking to get word out to each school that she is not proposing eliminating division food service jobs.

Daniels said Monday that Redinger's efforts to streamline the division will be focused on the instruction and technology departments with the goal of putting more resources into the school buildings and saving $1.5 million over two years.

If Redinger's streamlining proposals trim $750,000 next year, the School Board still must make deep cuts to give a 2.5 percent cost-of-living increase to staff and restore 20 teaching positions.

Pamela Gould: 540/735-1972
Email: pgould@freelancestar.com