The Virginian-Pilot
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NORFOLK
The City Council favors providing additional money to help the Norfolk schools balance their books, despite a $26 million city budget deficit.
Superintendent Stephen Jones requested $5.7 million of additional city funding in the budget approved by the School Board on Wednesday night.
On Thursday, most council members said they are in favor of providing most or all of the $5.7 million. Some said they want assurances that money will be spent to prevent the school system from laying off teachers and other support personnel.
"We have a lot of issues to balance, which would include the needs of our own city employees and the delivery of city services," Mayor Paul Fraim said. "But my intention is to push as hard as we possibly can to provide substantial additional dollars for the school system, and hopefully as much as they have requested."
City Manager Regina V.K. Williams told school officials months ago that she was trimming $3 million in city funding from their proposed budget. However, that funding was restored when it became apparent the state was going to impose large cuts on the schools. The General Assembly adopted a budget that trims $34 million in funding for the schools.
Williams is trying to close a $26 million gap in the $1.2 billion city budget. She must present a balanced budget to the council on April 20. If the school system receives $5.7 million, that gap climbs to nearly $32 million.
Reached via e-mail, Williams wrote: "The Council sets the priorities so all I can tell you is it just means cutting elsewhere because there are no additional revenue sources."
Vice Mayor Anthony L. Burfoot and council members Paul R. Riddick, Theresa Whibley, W. Randy Wright and Barclay C. Winn said they are in favor of finding additional funding for the schools. Don Williams said he wants to wait until Williams submits her budget. Councilwoman Daun S. Hester, who is challenging Fraim in the May 4 mayoral election, calls the request for funds "understandable."
"I want to be certain that these additional funds for the school system will not create financial burdens for working families while millions continue to be spent on stalled or failed development projects," she wrote in an e-mail.
Whibley, a former School Board chairwoman, said she met with Jones on Thursday to discuss the budget.
"It's despicable that the state has dumped all of these cuts on the localities," Whibley said. "But we've got to do what we can to help our schools."
Riddick said he's in favor of additional funding as long as the money doesn't go for raises or to help pay for increases in the cost of health benefits. City employees will not be receiving raises and likely will have to pay for health care increases.
Burfoot said he believes the school administration is "top-heavy" with administrators and he wants to "make sure the money we send them is being spent in the classroom."
Harry Minium, (757) 446-2371, harry.minium@pilotonline.com
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Councilman Riddick: Comparing Apples to Oranges
While I completely feel for all city employees, I doubt most of them have to purchase many of their own supplies in order to effectively do their job. Whereas we have been given some money to help with this in previous years, due to budget cuts this cannot happen. As a result, teachers will have to purchase paper, pens, pencils, markers, drawing paper, glue, scissors, etc because every day in every class students do not have these items themselves. We will also have to purchase anything needed to decorate our rooms so they will be warm and inviting as well as innovative. As the year progresses, if we come up with a really phenomenal lesson plan that requires materials, we will have to purchase those things. If we don't, instruction and students will suffer, so we will put them first and cut our own personal budgets to give to them. We have not had raises in two years, and are gracefully accepting the many cuts that will affect us this next school year; however, having to incur the insurance costs will result in lower paychecks each pay period is a slap in the face.
Say No to NPS Budget until they Get it Right!!
If the City Council states, that NPS is top heavy and after repeatedly hearing from the citizens of Norfolk, how can they approve the budget request? Are they even going to take a look at all the unnecessary spending and the essential cuts that were proposed to be made? We would respect and maybe reelect them if the City Council sends the budget back and tell them to make the necessary cuts that would save our children and provide them with a proper education. Don’t just turn over the money to a school system that has not even tried to clean up their act. We are not sending the right message by doing that.
Namely, we are we paying for central admin. to have cell phones a bill totaling $300,000, when we do not have their number or access to them. Why are we paying their 95 top people over $100,000 a year and we do not even know who they are or what do they do for the schools? And in the budget we are paying for them to travel totally $305,000, where are they going? How did Stephen Jones make $213,000 a year and have the nerves to say he did not know there were schools in danger of not making accreditation? Not to mention he seems to be the only one still getting a raise. If Centr
Priorities...
While NPS has taken a real beating in the press, the majority of schools, teachers and administrators are doing an excellent job in educating our children. Teaching is a calling, and it takes true talent to deliver quality instruction- each and every day. The best and brightest must be lured into the profession with competitive pay, so that we can make NPS the top district once again. Other districts will draw the cream of the crop from our colleges and universities unless we make Teacher pay- a priority. Young families, with school age children, need to know that Norfolk is investing in the future of their families by fully funding the school budget. Fully funding at this point in time does not provide for any raises and several years have gone by while teacher pay drops...Home sales are down and businesses are turned off by what is being negatively reported. Yes, NPS needs to deal with these issues and it will. Support those who are still in the fight, and who will turn this school system back into the best in the area. Those who have dragged us down need to move on, and NPS needs to move forward. There is no time to waste... Our children are at stake.
If you want to save and cut the budget.
Take a look at one of the pictures in the article. You see row after row of big yellow buses. Can you imagine the savings that can be accomplished by extending the school day by 1.25 hours and cutting back to a four day school week? You not only save on bus fuel, you also save on the building energy cost, lunch cost and many other cost resulting in huge savings. Other savings could be made by cutting back to one Assistant Principle, one Administrator of each disipline, one Assistant Administrator, one lawyer and many other duplicated or un-needed administrative positions. It's not a revenue problem, it IS a spending problem.
What ?
how does additional spending help a budget gap ?
Still no solution on how to cover the gap ?
Everyone needs to stop being so greedy and make some real cuts. The economy is not going to magically recover overnight. This will take years. meaning, the school board and city council will have the same problem next year.
Making Necessary Choices
Supporting our schools is a vital necessity. I'm glad that our City Counsel has heard the public outcry over budget cuts and is responding.
May
Elections! Elections! Elections! Elections! It is election time. We must vote for our children and their future. Remember, flesh and blood before brick and mortar.
Schools
It is such a shame that a generation of teachers are coming up that can not make do with what they have but must have the top of the line everything - if you would spend more time giving out your wealth of knowledge instead of whining about what you don't have or don't get - Oh for the days when one teacher did it all - not all of these helpers or teachers aids - but it is the same no matter what job that most people are in - we have forgotten how to be creative - to put pride in every job well done - It is not what you have but what you do with what you have that counts.
Because throwing money at a
Because throwing money at a systemic failure is a good thing? Public education is so broken.
Investing in the Future
I realize that right-wingers hate public education but if most of us see it as necessary to the future of our civilization.