School budget hearing draws few residents

Newsome If the Feb. 14 School Board meeting were a Valentine’s Day dance, then the school budget proposal would have been a shy wallflower.

It took about 10 minutes for three people to share their feelings about the school system’s $532.6 million spending proposal for 2012-13. The plan, which restores teachers’ salaries to levels prior to previous 2 percent to 3 percent pay cuts, was lauded by those who described the plan as heading in the right direction. But there were some concerns about how the dollars would be spent elsewhere.

Heather Hart, a Bermuda District parent, said that in some elementary classrooms, students are plentiful but education supplies are not. She noted that late last year, O.B. Gates Elementary School ran completely out of paper and did not have money in its budget to immediately replenish supplies.

“We gave the gift of paper to our teacher [for Christmas],” Hart said.

Coyner Hart also criticized the proposal to double student parking fees from $25 to $50 a year, saying the increase would be a hardship for some kids. “Twenty-five dollars is a lot of money for a senior or junior in high school,” she said.

Hart suggested that instead of cutting the school system’s contribution to the county Public Education Foundation by $25,000, the system should consider eliminating the entire $100,000 earmarked for the foundation. That would cover any revenue generated by the hike in parking fees, she added.

Michael Jackson, a Dale District parent, criticized the school system for what he called creating a design for excellence “but a budget for mediocrity.” Jackson, who unsuccessfully sought the Dale District School Board seat last November, called for the system to align its budget with the Design for Excellence 2020 plan it is implementing.

Wyman Jackson asked the system to provide the public with a detailed, line-by-line budget plan for where dollars are going, “not a 59-slide [PowerPoint] presentation,” which is currently on the school system’s website.

School Superintendent Marcus Newsome said the slide presentation highlights changes between current and proposed spending plans. Citizens can access a more detailed budget plan by clicking to another portion of the website.

Frank Cardella, president of the Chesterfield Education Association, called it “frustrating” that no more than three people – himself included – spoke during the public hearing. He said the future success of the school system relies not only on current employees but also on future hires, and he was critical of General Assembly efforts to require new teachers to foot more of the bill for their pensions.

The School Board will vote on the proposed budget on Feb. 28.

2012-13 school calendar

The board got its first official look at the school calendar for next year. It includes 181 instruction days and would begin Sept. 4.

The calendar continues a practice initiated this year of three-hour, early-release days on the fourth Wednesday of each month during the school year. It also includes two early-release days on June 13-14 of next year – the last two days of the school calendar – plus an early-release day for students and school staff on Nov. 21, the start of the Thanksgiving holiday.

The school system began the early-release Wednesday schedule as a way for teachers to take part in professional development activities during those afternoons.

Bermuda District Representative Carrie Coyner suggested that the school system consider moving the regularly scheduled November early-release day from the afternoon of Nov. 28 to the morning of Nov. 21. The students’ last day before the holiday break would be Nov. 20.

Coyner said that would give teachers the morning to take part in professional development and the afternoon to get ready for Thanksgiving.

Newsome said the school calendar committee would take a look at that suggestion.

Dale District Representative David Wyman asked about the possibility of opening schools earlier than the traditional post-Labor Day start. Wyman said Henrico County is considering asking for a waiver from the state to open its public schools in August.

The post-Labor Day opening law, nicknamed the Kings Dominion Relief Act because it benefits Virginia’s tourism and theme-park industries by extending summer break, was brought before the 2012 General Assembly for possible changes. But supporters of the law were able to ward off the challenge.

Wyman said that if schools were allowed to open in August, students might begin summer break closer to Memorial Day instead of in mid-June.

Newsome said Chesterfield collaborates with neighboring school systems, including Henrico County’s, on school calendars.

The School Board is expected to vote on the 2012-13 calendar in early March. In the meantime, the school system has posted the calendar on its website for public comment.

In other business

The School Board heard a presentation on the system’s Career and Technical Education program.

Michael Gill, principal of the Chesterfield Technical Center, pointed out that the program has expanded from vocational education for some students to programs at all of the county’s 24 middle and high schools. The Technical Center on Courthouse Road houses 1,300 students – 566 of whom are in dual academic and technical enrollment.