Schools need your input

To meet budget, we have some tough decisions to make

The Culpeper County School Board is requesting the input of parents and residents of Culpeper County concerning the 2007-08 operating budget.

There will not be another opportunity for us to seek public input prior to our May 14 meeting when we will finalize our operating budget for next year, cutting out nearly $7 million from our previously adopted budget.

First, let's understand that we are underfunded by the state and federal government for the mandates they impose. We are required to provide services and to carry out those mandates without sufficient federal and state funding. The local government is left to shoulder the burden.

Secondly, we need to realize that we will be opening a new high school and elementary school that are desperately needed, and Yowell Elementary will open at capacity. We need staff to run these schools. Some folks will be transferred from existing schools, but there will be additional staff needed.

Finally, we constantly hear that the schools need to "live within our budget," but the fact is that we must, by law, accept every student who enters our doors. Our "family" continues to grow and we have no control over that; not like we have in our own household budgets. We are required by law to provide educational services and we are held accountable for their achievement.

The tax rate has been set by the Board of Supervisors. The School Board requested $9.8 million in new money for our operating budget from the county. Most of these funds would have been used to hire additional personnel who would teach in existing schools now to lower class size and then transfer to Eastern View and Yowell Elementary when they open in 2008.

With the tax rate set at 56 cents, we will receive only $3 million in new money from the county for our operating budget.
Obviously, we must make some very difficult decisions.

Our staff puts in hours above and beyond to help every child succeed.

They are working in overcrowded conditions. Yet, our children continue to succeed as seen by their SOL, SAT and AP scores, and our graduation rate continues to improve. This great success is soon to be in jeopardy.

If we choose to maintain competitive salaries in a highly competitive market, we will be able to hire less than 25 percent of the requested additional staff and the need will be pushed forward to the next fiscal year. Next year we will also be requesting additional positions needed to open the new schools.

The next budget cycle will be equally as difficult, if not more so. At that time, there will also be a need for additional funding for utilities and operation of those new schools.

Without quality teachers, no matter what we teach, our students will have difficulty succeeding. We are in stiff competition with counties next to us for teachers. In order to keep the quality staff we have, we need to offer competitive salaries. In addition, our salary scale needs to be in line with other counties to assist in hiring new staff. If we do that, we will have to make a decision to reduce program offerings.

The board has asked the staff to prepare a list of all courses beyond what is mandated along with the cost of delivering that instruction for consideration.

What this means is that we may not be able to offer all the courses we have currently for our students. For example, we may find that we are not able to offer five years of a language, or advanced math classes, or as many AP, career and technical, or fine arts classes.

Our desire would be not to reduce personnel; clearly we will need them when the new schools open. We would have to reduce the number of choices for our students.

In addition, it has been suggested that we look at reducing after-school sports so that we could eliminate stipends to coaches. Monies used for maintaining fields and equipment could be used for academics.

We need to hear from you, the parents and the taxpayers, what programs you value and would like to see maintained. We received information from staff Wednesday and will discuss what direction we should take. The final vote on the budget will be at our meeting on May 14.

Please contact your School Board member to voice your opinion. We would like to have your input.

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