The Virginian-Pilot
©
VIRGINIA BEACH
Nine elementaries are on the list as the Beach school system considers closing one or two.
The Building Utilization Committee decided Wednesday to pick from among Green Run, Holland, King’s Grant, Old Donation Center, Parkway, Plaza, Point O’View, Rosemont and Thoroughgood. None is in the far eastern or southern parts of the city. The committee expects to bring a plan to the School Board in May.
The division is considering closing one or two schools at the beginning the 2010-11 school year, at earliest. A study two years ago recommended the school division shed 1,000 seats of excess elementary capacity. The average elementary costs about $1.2 million a year to run.
Each of the nine schools is at least 20 years old and in an area of the city that could absorb their students. Some elementaries, like North Landing and Princess Anne, were excluded because they’re in the growing southeastern part of the city. Others, such as Birdneck and John B. Dey, were considered too large to disperse among other schools.
Rumors have been swirling about which schools might be on the short list.
“With the whole money issue and budget cuts, I’m not surprised,” said Raquel Ricci, president of the Point O’View PTA. “But I’d hate to see them close one.”
Lauren Roth, (757) 222-5133, lauren.roth@pilotonline.com.
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Twitter
Google
Yahoo
School budget?
Principal Julie Risney at North Landing Elementary School just spent $100,000 on pretty, new furniture. I am positive North Landing was not the only VB school to get $100,000 for unwarrented furniture like new desk for teachers (not needed) and new bookshelves (also not needed)in classrooms. Virginia Beach Public Schools needs to take a long hard look at where they are spending tax payers money and how it directly relates to student achievment. This is just one of many examples how the new administration (Dr. Merrill) allows school principals to spend money on "things" not education. There has to be some accountablility at the end of the day or neighborhood schools will be forced to shut down. Just like big governement, as we have all recently learned, small government allows some to have it all while others get nothing. I encourage all tax payers to attend the Virginia Beach School Board meeting!!! It time our small government heard our collectively loud voice say, "You will be held accountable for every dime you spend of our money! Every desk you buy to every school you shut down, we voters will be watching you!"
School Closing Really?
I am appalled. Talking of closing schools due to under-utilization or the age of the school. Handing more money over to Town Center. They tell us that by building up Town Center we are stroking the economy. More jobs will be created. What about planning for our future? Educating our young. How is piling more students into schools going to better anything. I know first hand that there are schools in VA Beach that have smaller class sizes than what my child is in right now. Yet my child's school is on the list for re-evaluation. This is insane. How can you justify this????? My question is does this mean when Town Center gets old and the amount of people that utilizes it dwindles that we can vote to have it taken down too?
And as for the comment about Thoroughgood parents..perhaps it's due to the amount of parental envolvement at the school as to why you can hear their "screams" so loudly.
school savings
For years VB remains one of the very few school districts in VA offering only half day kindergarten classes. Allegedly this is done so the children don't have to spend the whole day in school. Wrong answer. It is to save the VB school system money as they know most families are two parent working families and there is no one to retrieve the child or put the child on the school bus at the midday sessions. These working parents have to opt for a full day sessions at a day care facility or find a neighbor who would be willing to help out. You can quickly imagine how many kids then get diverted to a private for pay facility in kindergarten thereby saving school funds by having to provide less teachers, materials, transportation and classroom space. So my question is this: would expanding the day for Kindergarten students necessitate the need for these "short listed" schools to remain open as you would automatically double the need for the kindergarten classrooms?
People, get real...
In response to SEVERAL posting trends:
1) "yesterday there was this article Virginia Beach votes to spend $60M for Town Center...is this necessary?"
-Yes, because sooner or later Oceana will be closed and the city will have lost a major portion of its economy. When that happens, the Town Center/Pembroke area will hopefully be built up enought to absord some of the workers who would otherwise be lost. Yeah 'not in this economy' but look to the future.
2) "What has town center brought to VB--it has made that area a higher crime area and it has not been successful financially"
-Are you insane? Naive yes, insane, very likely. The crime rate is DOWN in that part of the city. Financially, the ROI (return on investment) is HIGHER than anticipated and pumps MILLIONS into the coughers each year. Look at the financial reports and THEN talk.
3)"A city is supposed to be reflective of their people so what does this say about us? This type of nonsense needs to stop and if we need to impeach all of the officials here to do it then so be it..."
-Well if you are suggesting that VB government doesn't reflect it's residents, you are wrong. You and the posters are of a minor
Culture
Add a little cultural diversion instead of living in a box! Branch out! Live a little! It's an interesting world beyond the north end of all of VB!
Why does a school need to close at all?
Perhaps my thinking is flawed on the subject, but I know for decades, people have cryed that decreasing class size is a pinnacle of improving education. So there are 1-2 schools in the city that are being underutilized. Why are we thinking that we should close a school and pack more kids into other schools versus moving kids into these underutilized schools. Instead of dispersing 200-400 kids into a bunch of schools, why not bring in 200-400 kids from various schools, allowing us to reduce the class sizes city wide without having to build new schools in high growth areas?
Two schools will get the biggest outcry against closure
Just watch -- the Thoroughgood and ODC parents will scream (just like Thoroughgood screamed -- albeit unsuccessfully -- against redistricting their area to PAHS years ago). The $ is in the Thoroughgood area, and they will not like having their darlings disbursed amongst the other elementaries in the area.
The ODC students come from across the city, anyway, so it makes sense to set up satellites around the city for that program.
No crime district?
The crime rate could logically go up from previous years. It was only woods and 1 office building and Consolvo's building! Now businesses have moved in with many kinds of effects. (Biggest possible was at the Weston with illegals possibly working there. The crime is that it was either overlooked or no random spot checks by immigration.) Otherwise, good food and entertainment at Town Center!
stores more important then schools?!?
So we have 60 mil for Town Center but no money for OUR schools!!Great, once again Virgina Beach has let down the citizens!! It's a shame we can not do anything about how OUR TAXES are spent! Would be nice if we could over run city council and take back our city!!! They can not do the job!Our future are the children, and over populated schools are not the answer!! With all the homes still going up, moving from one school WILL cause the schools to have too many students!
Alot of you talk without knowing facts
Town Center area's crime rate has not gone up since the development started. In fact, it's quite the opposite. TC is one of the safest places north of the green line in VB.