School budget woes: Mathews schools could lose 35 positions
by Charlie Koenig

Facing state budget cuts of more than $1 million, the Mathews County School Board took its case to the people at a town hall meeting Tuesday night in the Thomas Hunter Middle School multipurpose room.

In spite of the nasty weather outside, a large crowd filled the venue to hear the latest on the budget picture, as well as to offer their thoughts on the situation.

The audience, which contained a large number of school employees, spoke passionately about the superior quality of instruction offered by the tiny school division, and expressed their concerns about what may happen if the budget cuts were to stay as they are.

Superintendent of Schools David J. Holleran said that, at present, the division is projected to lose $1,156,009 in 2010-2011, out of a total budget of roughly $14 million. And this is after making cuts last year to nearly everything but personnel.

"Last year, we cut out ‘things’ from our budget," Holleran said, such as equipment and furniture replacement, as well as $20,000 for substitute teachers, causing teachers and teacher assistants to pick up the slack. Teachers and other employees, Holleran said, received no step increase or raise this year, and had to absorb an 18 percent increase in health insurance.

This time around, the superintendent said, there is nothing left to cut but personnel. Holleran said that he "guesstimates" that the $1.1 million reduction could result in a loss of "at least 35 (positions), maybe more than that."

Part of the $1.1 million is a result of a change to the state’s Local Composite Index formula. The state calculates each locality’s ability to pay, based on a number of factors, and allocates its education dollars accordingly. Gov. Tim Kaine had planned to freeze the LCI at its current levels; this week, Gov. Bob McDonnell reversed that decision, which will cost Mathews $440,622 in the coming year.

That $1.1 million figure could even get worse, Holleran said, as the General Assembly looks to trim another $2 billion from its biennial budget.

"Those are the facts," Holleran said, as he presented the dreary forecast.

The superintendent pointed out that "the lion’s share" of the school budget—73 percent—currently goes directly toward instruction, with small percentages for building operations and maintenance, transportation, administration, attendance and health services, and technology. Technology, Holleran said, gets only 3 percent of the budget, with money for new computers coming from grants specifically earmarked for this need.

He then gave a presentation on the school division’s long list of accomplishments, from student performance on standardized tests to the high percentage of Mathews High School graduates who continue their education.

Following Holleran’s talk, the school board opened the meeting to the audience, and 21 people spoke out, with many of them saying that they moved to Mathews County specifically because of the quality of its schools.

Tammy Henry, an employee at Lee-Jackson Elementary School, asked if the school division could arrange another bus trip to Richmond to lobby the General Assembly for more money.

Last year, the division held a similar town hall meeting and arranged to have a bus caravan to Richmond to lobby the state legislators.

School board member Michael Richards said that that would not likely have much effect, since Mathews has a reputation with the state of "not pulling its weight" as far as paying for education. He said that the county is currently ranked 122nd out of 134 localities in revenue effort. "It’s got to be a local effort," he said.

School board chairman Jen Little indicated that lobbying may have some effect in possibly reversing the Governor’s decision about the Local Composite Index. Newport News schools, she said, stands to lose $4.5 million because of that decision, while those in Virginia Beach will lose $14.5 million.
"If we jam the switchboards and keep their legislative aides running … that will have some sort of impact," she said. Earlier in the meeting, Little provided the telephone numbers for McDonnell, state Sen. Ralph Northam (D-Norfolk) and Del. Harvey B. Morgan (R-Middlesex).

Kathy Perdue of Port Haywood, is one of the people who came to the county specifically for the good schools. She said that her family brought a small business into the county, which has helped the local economy. If the quality of education deteriorates, it will have an adverse effect on the community as a whole. "That is not going to sustain us," she said.

Tom Bowen of the Glebe, suggested that the school division survey its entire staff to get suggestions about what could be done to cut costs. Get the employees engaged, he said, "and you’ll have a staff that’s more involved and committed." Ultimately, however, Bowen said that the board of supervisors will need to step up.
Little said that she and Holleran had just discussed the idea of surveying the staff, and they hope to do so in a day or two.

Amy Bohannon-Stewart, an eighth grade science teacher at Thomas Hunter Middle School and president of the Mathews Education Association, spoke on the important job that teacher assistants do. She said they are crucial in giving students one-on-one attention, especially in reading groups.
When they are pulled away from their duties to serve as substitute teachers, their jobs are not done. If that continues, she said, reading scores will drop.
The school division is blessed to have employees who put in way more time than they are required because they care, Bohannon-Stewart said.
She pointed to people such as technology coordinator Bill Vrooman who, she said, works the equivalent of two to three jobs. "I think maybe he lives here," she joked. And to people like Perdue, who volunteers as a substitute teacher.
But if cuts are made, it will be difficult to maintain that quality. "We can’t count on people like Kathy Perdue forever," Bohannon-Stewart said.

Judy Rowe of Gwynn’s Island, said that part of the problem lies with the unfunded mandates coming from the federal and state governments, requiring more and more testing. "They’ve got to rein in the beast," she said.
She pointed to the influence of Pearson, an Oxford, England-based testing company that she said has a virtual monopoly on testing supplies and textbooks.
Rowe also urged people to take advantage of the fact that county supervisors will hold half of their 2010 meetings in the evening, starting with the Feb. 23 meeting. "Make your voices heard," she said.

Tony Carlson, a history teacher at MHS, asked the school board to let employees know as soon as possible if they are the ones slated for dismissal. "I’m probably one of the 35," he said, referring to Holleran’s figure of positions that may have to be cut. He said that he needs to know as soon as possible so he can start making plans now.

Larry Brown, the auto mechanics teacher at MHS, asked if teachers were willing to take a voluntary pay cut, how much of one would be needed to make a difference. He also asked what kind of local tax increase would be needed to cover the deficit. "Those figures would help a lot," he said.
Mike Richards estimated that it would take a pay cut of about 14 percent to make up for the $1.1 million, which he called "relatively unfair."

A 12-cent increase on the real estate levy, he said, would cover the school division’s needs, as well as those of the sheriff’s office and other county departments. Richards said that would amount to an increase of $300 on a residence with a value of $250,000, or the equivalent of a television set at Walmart.

"We will survive if we have to have positions cut. Lee-Jackson will survive," said Lee-Jackson Elementary School principal Drew Greve. However, he added, Greve doesn’t know if Lee-Jackson will survive "as a school of excellence in the governor’s eyes" if these personnel cuts are made.

School board member Bill Johnson said that "last year, we took it on the chin and got nothing for it." "We’re talking now about cutting jobs … I, for one, as a parent, am really opposed to that," he said.

"For the price of a TV set, we’re going to cut jobs ...that’s completely wrong," Johnson said. "This is our time of need. They need to step up."

The school board will hold a work session on Thursday, March 4.

The following Wednesday, March 10, the board will have its public hearing on the draft budget, with school board approval scheduled for March 16.