Chesapeake division faces $48.6 million shortfall

Posted to: Chesapeake Education News
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By Hattie Brown Garrow
The Virginian-Pilot
© January 31, 2012

CHESAPEAKE

The school division is bracing for a projected $48.6 million gap between revenue and spending next school year, the School Board learned Monday.

The rising expenses include higher costs related to retirement benefits, which are going to be accompanied by an expected decrease in state revenue, Superintendent James Roberts said. The division has reduced its budget by about $60 million since 2008-09. The current budget is $371.9 million.

Among the expected increases for 2012-13:

-- The division would need to spend an additional $11 million to satisfy Gov. Bob McDonnell's plan to fund the Virginia Retirement System.

-- Group life insurance costs are expected to rise as much as $2 million.

-- Adopting new textbooks could cost as much as $16.6 million.

At the same time, Roberts said, the division has to account for the loss of federal stimulus money and a change in the city's composite index, a complicated formula that determines a locality's ability to pay for its education costs.

The latter will result in a loss of state funding.

"It doesn't look like there's any shining light in our future," Roberts told the board.

Giving a sneak preview to his proposed 2012-13 spending plan, set for release Feb. 13, Roberts said he anticipates recommending no raises for employees, personnel reductions through attrition, and no new buses or equipment. Division employees have seen nothing more than a 0.5 percent pay raise since 2008.

"None of this is solid," Roberts said, noting that the numbers are based on the governor's state budget proposal. "But it's probably pretty close."

Earlier in the evening, Chesapeake Education Association President Heather Foxwell shared quotes gathered from a survey of division employees.

Most mentioned the lack of raises, noting they could barely afford to live in the city where they work and that they could make more in the private sector. At least one employee said morale is low.

Hattie Brown Garrow, 757-222-5562, hattie.brown@pilotonline.com

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$48 deficit

Submitted by saundsde on Thu, 02/02/2012 at 9:18 pm.

What ever happened to students buying/renting their books? The adoption of this policy could save the city a lot of money. Students loose and destroy books and often are not held accoutable for these items. Everything is given to them and this causes them to use and abuse. I am all for charging a book fee or rental fee to offset the cost of textbooks.

So much wrong

Submitted by lmp98 on Tue, 01/31/2012 at 9:47 am.

If you want to know why morale is low, look at the fact we no longer have true leaders in organizations. Leaders should set the example and endure the same hardships as the rank and file. This is taught in the military ground services. When you have the so called "leader" of an organization as the only person getting a raise for several years, how do you expect the people who work under him to be motivated. As Dwight Eisenhower stated, "Leadership is getting people to do what you want done because they want to do it....". How do you expect the school subordinates to "lay it on the line" when the chief has huge built in salary increases every year when they are struggling to afford the basic necessities?

good thing someone got a

Submitted by odetocommonsense on Tue, 01/31/2012 at 9:26 am.

good thing someone got a raise before this report

$16.6 MILLION dollars.....

Submitted by bobh69730 on Tue, 01/31/2012 at 8:24 am.

to adopt new school books? Has history, science, and english changed that must since last year that the school books being used now are outdated? "New" books are one of the biggest scams in the education system!

Agree

Submitted by Welsby on Tue, 01/31/2012 at 10:17 am.

I guess they have t oreplace the books that were lost or misused by the students though. I remember in college paying over $300 for books that were no good in one year according to the school or publisher. I have no proof but I bet someone at the school's receives kickback for using certain books.

I sat and watched....

Submitted by bobh69730 on Tue, 01/31/2012 at 10:41 am.

a friend of mine that worked as an assistant to a college professor open a new textbook dropped off by a publisher/distributor for review for acceptance into the curriculum. The "envelope" that fell out of it after she unwrapped it was full of $100 bills. That's how new textbooks are reviewed these days.....