The Virginian-Pilot
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PORTSMOUTH
The School Board asked the City Council on Tuesday for an additional $2.5 million in the division's next budget to offset a likely loss of the same amount from a refiguring of a state-funding formula.
The composite index calculates a community's ability to pay for public education based on factors including real estate values.
Even if the city provides the additional amount, the division will still have to find ways of closing a $2.1 million gap between revenue and costs, said Dan Pendarvis, assistant superintendent for budget and planning.
The division's request comes as it faces major challenges just to keep educational quality at current levels, Superintendent David Stuckwisch said at a joint meeting of the board and the council.
"I come to you this evening with serious concerns," including cutbacks of instructional staff and increased demands on teachers in recent years, he said.
"I'm very worried about Portsmouth Public Schools. I'm worried we won't be able to maintain the good job we've been doing," Stuckwisch said. One troubling trend is a rise in schoolroom sizes by three or four pupils per class over the past couple of years, he said.
The division's proposed budget includes a 1 percent cost-of-living-increase for employees, who haven't had a raise since 2009.
"Maximum student learning is all about one thing: good teaching. We have good teachers," Stuckwisch said, adding that the flat salaries are becoming less competitive.
Stuckwisch said that the city and division also need to deal with a decrepit heating and cooling system at Churchland High School that would cost $16 million to fix permanently.
After the meeting, Mayor Kenneth Wright said the council could not agree to the division's request until it had considered all other funding requests it will get during budget planning.
"I don't think it's out of the question, though," he said. The city faces a budget gap of roughly $12.5 million, including the school system's request.
Wright consented to the division's proposal that the city and school system talk about whether they could save taxpayer money by partnering in negotiating employee health insurance packages. "Anywhere there's cost-saving alternatives, we need to look at it," he said.
Pilot writer Dave Forster contributed to this story.
Steven G. Vegh, 757-446-2417,steven.vegh@pilotonline.com
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School tragedies
Lack of funding, a tragedy; lack of discipline among students, a tragedy; lack of consequences for said students, a tragedy; third sex offender in Portsmouth? More than tragic--criminal behavior occurs because no one is looking. ( " . . . and another gone, another one gone, another one bites the dust.") Seems some teachers ( not the dedicated ones) as well as students think they can get away with anything-no consequences until it's too late. Morale is below zero. Let's lose those who are in education for political gain and the freebies and who neglect their most valuable assets: the good teachers and students with enormous potential.
Give me a break
I am reminded everyday I go to work that the city council cares less and less about it's schools and more and more about it's personel gain. Dr. Stuckwich does try to get teachers raises and to improve the schools. Could he do more? Probably, we all could. The problem is anytime he goes to the council for help they have the same answer. Here's how to cut corners. Drive your own cars to work, teachers do. Pay for your own lunches and dinners, teacher do. Stop giving yourself raises when no one else gets them. Stop paying for unneccessary inquiries, that you could do yourselves. (example: recent football player case) Stop investing in projects that are only going to fail. Stop having assistants to the assistants. Wake up people.
as i said before
When Pendarvis gives up his new City provided SUV and gas to drive to his home in Virginia Beach I might be concerned, until then find a Taxpayer that cares. Get rid of Stucwish and Pendarvis. It's funny, Churchland was completed in 1992 and had the first HVAC system replaced starting around 1999. Now the system needs to be replaced again to the tune of 16 million? I don't believe it cost much more than that to build the School to begin with. Every day I wonder just how incompetent Portsmouth can be but I am reminded every day I open the Pilot.