The term is popping up on school board agendas across the region: "reduction in force." It is not known whether school staff layoffs loom on the horizon or if it will just be cautious planning, but the layoff policies will be discussed today at regularly scheduled school board meetings in Bedford, Botetourt and Roanoke counties.

Most public school systems in the commonwealth have policies in place to reduce the size of their work force, but it is rare the process is initiated. Even during economic downturns, school staff traditionally have not been substantially affected by layoffs.

But in an effort to address a $2.9 billion budget shortfall, Gov. Tim Kaine proposed placing a cap on the number of state-funded Standards of Quality support positions beginning in the 2009-10 school year. The proposal, which requires the ultimate approval of the General Assembly, would cut funding for more than 13,000 teachers aide, clerical, custodial, maintenance and administrative positions statewide -- savings of about $341 million.

"Based upon my experience, which goes back 30 years, this is probably the first time most or all school divisions would be looking at a significant number of layoffs due to the elimination of positions," said Pat Lacy, a Richmond attorney who represents the Virginia School Boards Association.

The cuts are not supposed to affect teachers, school nurses or bus drivers, said Rob Jones of the Virginia Education Association, but he is unsure if that is realistic.

"Technically the reduction in state funding is only for support positions. However, if you reduce state funding to local school divisions by over 9 percent, many school divisions will be reducing other personnel as well," Jones said.

By eliminating jobs that deal with completing some of the hundreds of reports required annually by the state Department of Education, the burden of paperwork trickles down to the teacher, he said.

"When you cut almost 10 percent to public education, it is going to have to an impact on the classroom," Jones said.

School boards across the state are scrambling to draft or review reduction in force policies to ensure the procedures are up to date as layoffs seem imminent. Roanoke's school board updated its policy in December and officials from Franklin County are reviewing the policy, expecting to bring it before the board in February. Most school divisions will use the policies to rank employees based on seniority, job performance or a combination of both.

Bedford County had a policy in the past, but it "was removed recently because it was extremely vague and provided no, or little, direction," according to school spokesman Ryan Edwards.

School board members in Bedford County will take a first glimpse at a newly drafted policy today but are not expected to act on the proposal until a later date.

"With the cuts in funding that we are expecting from the state this year, a reduction in staff would be necessary in order for us to continue to operate," Edwards wrote in an e-mail Monday.

Kaine's proposal would cut about 122 positions from the 331 now funded in Bedford and Bedford County, where the county educates the city's students. Included in the proposal is the implementation of a ratio -- one state-funded Standards of Quality support position for about every four instructional positions -- to determine the state's share of funding. No ratio was in place previously, Jones said.

At a time when localities already are in dire straits economically, it will be tough for boards of supervisors and city councils to pick up the tab.

"I can promise that no locality is going to pick up 100 percent of the SOQ-funded positions," Lacy said.

Each school division will lay off employees based on individual needs, Lacy said.

"For instance if you call a school, you expect a secretary to answer. We can't cut out a secretarial position at a school because parents would be up in arms if they call and no one answers," Lacy said.

Botetourt County's school board will review the school system's existing reduction in force policy, following a recommendation from the Virginia School Boards Association, Assistant Superintendent John Busher said. That does not mean the division will put the policy to use. Under Kaine's proposal, Botetourt County would lose funding for about 54 support positions from current staffing of 147.

"We are awaiting the final review process, looking at our budgetary needs, and where we are going to be looking at for cuts and other ways of dealing with shortage of funding this year. Right now, at this date, the anticipation of utilizing our RIF policy, we are not there," Busher said.

Roanoke County has had a lengthy reduction in force policy for some time, although it hasn't had to use it in recent years. The only policy change being touted would give more protection to teachers who have been put on an improvement plan should the county have to resort to layoffs.

Roanoke County, the largest school division in the region, would lose funding for 164 of 447 support positions. Meanwhile Roanoke City stands to sustain a cut in funding for 131 of 357 support positions.

Roanoke County school officials have said they would like to avoid laying off employees, preferring to find other places to cut. But the school board has expanded an early-retirement incentive to try to thin its ranks. So far, about 15 teachers have signed up, Deputy Superintendent of Personnel Tom Hall said.

Officials had hoped to find about 80 takers, but the deadline is not until the end of the month. Hall said he expects more teachers will decide to take the buyout offer as the deadline nears.

Staff writer David Harrison contributed to this report.