Beach School Board blasts budget plan

VIRGINIA BEACH

Using words such as "shortsighted," "irresponsible" and "unconscionable," the School Board on Tuesday lashed out at a City Council plan to use $8.8 million in school reserve money to balance the city budget.

School board members, at an emergency meeting Tuesday, said they felt betrayed. This is the second straight year the city plans to tap the school system's reserves.

"Last year, we turned our heads. It's tantamount to bullying, what's going on right now," board member Pat Edmonson said. "No one has ever said they've moved to Virginia Beach because they have a great animal shelter," she added, alluding to one of the planned uses of the funds.

The city has the authority to take the cash without the board's agreement because the schools are funded as part of the city's budget. On Tuesday, the board passed a resolution formally objecting to the plan.

The schools' $663.1 million budget for 2010-11 was down from a high of $721.3 million in 2008-09. It includes a plan to spread $24 million in reserves over two years. The school division cut costs over the past three years by closing a school, ending year-round school programs, lengthening the bus-replacement cycle, cutting bus stops and eliminating more than 100 positions.

Superintendent Jim Merrill sent a phone message about the council's plan to 84,983 staff members and parents Tuesday afternoon using the city's AlertNow system.

"I feel I must advise you of a possible change to our proposed operating budget that could ultimately affect our ability to preserve jobs and maintain reasonable class sizes," he said, in part.

Mayor Will Sessoms and council members accused Merrill of politicking.

"It's not a use I envisioned when I helped institute it," Rita Sweet Bellitto, councilwoman and former School Board member, said of the AlertNow system.

"I believe in transparent government," Merrill said, noting that public hearings on the budget already passed. "I will communicate with my people and my employees. What's disturbing is that they're trying to change the subject. The real issue remains - taking $8.8 million."

At the City Council meeting Tuesday afternoon, Bill DeSteph came out against taking the money. "We really don't need to," he said.

He suggested the money could come from other city surpluses. The City Council will vote on the budget Tuesday.

Dominic Melito, president of the Virginia Beach Education Association, said he plans to arrange a rally of parents, teachers and school employees at that meeting.

The division will lobby for the right to keep its own reserves, said Carolyn Weems, head of the School Board's legislative committee.

"We have scrimped and saved so we don't have to lay off teachers and increase class sizes by two and three and four," she said. "I'm very upset that because we've done a good job, they're saying teachers and students don't need the money."

Staff writer Aaron Applegate contributed to this report.

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