The St. Landry Parish School Board’s payroll expenses are expected to drop about 4.2 percent in the current fiscal year as the system shifts spending to accommodate a drop in revenue and a rise in other expenses.

According to the budget proposal on its way to the board’s August meeting on Thursday, total payroll spending in Fiscal 2011-12 will be about $62.9 million, a dip of $2.78 million from the year that ended June 30.

The total budget is $113.5 million.

While payroll drops, the system’s share of employee retirement costs jumps 27.7 percent to $16 million, almost all of the increase mandated by the state.

Supt. Michael Nassif and his staff have been preparing for the double whammy of reduced revenues and increased retirement expense since first indications were received last fall of the pending changes.

Last month, Nassif asked the board for, and received, a declaration of financial emergency, setting the stage for even more drastic budget overhaul should it become necessary.

To date, no teacher layoffs have occurred. There are fewer teachers on the payroll for the upcoming year due to the system not filling a number of vacancies created by retirements or resignations.

Teacher payroll, including elementary and secondary teachers, aides, substitutes, special education, gifted and talented and vocational ed personnel, is expected to hit $42 million this fiscal year. That’s a drop of $2.42 million from last year, perhaps as many as 50 job slots unfilled.

A breakout of the changes:

Kindergarten teachers, $2.2 million, down $340,000;

Grades 1-8 teachers, $18 million, down $1.3 million;

Grades 9-12 teachers, $11.3 million, down $500,000;

Teacher aides, $542,000, down $10,000;

Substitute teachers, $600,000, down $200,000;

Special Ed teachers, $7.6 million, no change;

Therapists & aides, $1.8 million, no change;

Special Ed substitutes, $100,000, up $30,000;

Gifted & Talented, $173,000, no change;

Vocational ed, $1.4 million, down $100,000.

Retirement expense for this group will increase $1.72 million to $10.4 million.

Salary expense for School Administration is unchanged, though the retirement expense of $1.1 million is $200,000 higher.

Expenses are:

Principals, $2.75 million;

Assistant principals, $1.26 million;

Clerical, $954,000.

Salary expense for other classroom-related positions -- driver ed, band, guidance counselors, nurses, assessment teachers, psychologists, social workers, pupil support, instruction staff services, librarians - is predicted to reach $5.66 million, about $150,000 less than the previous budget.

Included in this category, all with no change:

Child welfare supervisor, $82,200

Guidance counselors, $978,000;

Nurses, $695,000;

Assessment teachers, $1 million;

Psychologists, $801,000; no change but $500,000 higher than original budget of previous fiscal year;

Social workers, $375,000;

Librarians, $800,000.

Also in this category:

Instructional staff service workers, elementary & secondary, $332,000, down $80,000;

Special ed service workers, $0, down $73,000;

Other and clerical workers, $147,000, no change.

Retirement expense for this group will increase $770,000 to $1.79 million.

Payroll expense for the General will be about $875,000. That’s down $100,000, a decrease expected in the board’s legal services contract total expense from the $200,000 of the previous year.

Also included in this category, all with no change:

Board members, $127,000;

Sales & Use Tax supervisor, $130,000;

Clerical, $25,000;

Superintendent, $127,395;

Clerical, $37,500;

Assistant superintendents, $174,200;

Clerical, $153,400.

Other payroll categories include:

Business Services, $589,000 --

Business official (manager), $76,000, down $10,000;

Accountants/auditor, $365,000, no change;

Purchasing clerks, $32,000, no change;

Warehouse clerks, $62,000 no change;

Printing clerical, 54,000, no change.

Retirement expense for this category increases $49,000 to $149,000.

Operating & Maintenance, $3.53 million --

Supervisors, $23,600, no change;

Clerical, $3,000, no change;

Custodians, $2.5 million, down $100,000;

Skilled craftsmen, $1 million, no change;

Other, $8,000, no change.

Retirement expense for this category is $995,000, an increase of $220,000.

Student Transportation, $3.94 million, no changes in any category --

Supervisor, $77,200;

Clerical, $33,000;

Drivers, $3 million;

Mechanics, $234,000;

Substitutes, $601,000.

Special ed bus aides, $321,000;

Special ed drivers, $249,000.

Retirement expense for this category is $1.3 million, up $500,000.

(An aside --

Finance on Monday accepted a low bid by Ross Bus Sales of $2.8 million for purchasing 40 new 71-passenger buses, a price that was about $900,000 better than the estimate.)

Central Services, $734,000, no changes in any category --

Personnel Supervisor, $75,000;

Clerical, $318,000;

Others, $119,000;

Data Processing Serves Supervisor, $75,000;

Clerical, $59,000;

Others, $88,000.

Retirement expense for this category is $174,000, up $27,000.