Major cuts proposed to Va. Beach school programs

VIRGINIA BEACH

Employees of Virginia Beach schools would face a year of frozen pay, but no layoffs or furloughs, in the 2009-10 budget plan Superintendent Jim Merrill proposed to the School Board on Wednesday night.

Separately, the board voted unanimously to end year-round programs at four elementary schools, saving the division about $792,000. Corporate Landing, Plaza, Point O'View and Seatack elementaries - with their combined 1,650 students - will return to a traditional calendar after this school year.

The superintendent's budget also would cut behind-the-wheel driver's education, the administration's field-trip budget, the Galaxy after-school program and the middle school intervention program Project X-CD.

"Employees deserve a raise," Merrill said. "Please understand this is a time of unprecedented reductions and unprecedented economics."

He added that next year could be worse.

Budget cuts were necessary because drops in state, local and federal funding left $56.6 million less than expected for the operating budget.

After using $17.2 million of reserve money saved by conservative spending last year, Beach schools would have a total budget of $694.7 million. But that still comes out to

$26.7 million less than the budget for the current school year.

"Our big picture is not as dismal as many others," Merrill said. "We're not laying off, were not furloughing," and employee benefit costs aren't rising. Eliminating raises for all employees across the board would save the school division $17.8 million.

Ninety-eight jobs are being eliminated in the proposed budget. Some are from programs that are ending, but many are the result of declining enrollment. Those positions will be absorbed through attrition, Merrill said.

The proposed budget also would eliminate Saturday detention, halt planned expansions to the AVID program in middle and high schools and eliminate special incentive pay.

It was a sobering meeting for many.

"I was hoping against hope there would be a salary increase," said Dominic Melito, president of the Virginia Beach Education Association.

But he praised the school division for avoiding the more severe actions proposed by other Virginia divisions.

Principal David French saw the end of seven years of year-round education at his school, Corporate Landing Elementary. All four year-round schools had won awards for the quality of their year-round programs, but most struggled to fill classrooms and show academic gains greater than schools that teach according to traditional calendars.

"You move on and do what's right for kids," French said.

Lauren Roth, (757) 222-5133 or lauren.roth@pilotonline.com.