The Virginian-Pilot
©
SUFFOLK
For now, employees at public schools shouldn't expect raises in the next academic year, and some may be looking for new jobs.
Superintendent Deran Whitney on Monday released his 2012-13 budget proposal, which for the fourth year in a row includes no salary increases. The $137.4 million spending plan also calls for the elimination of more than 70 positions, mostly teacher assistants and bus monitors.
In a letter introducing the budget, Whitney said he hopes to use attrition to offer jobs to all displaced employees.
"We have had to make some hard decisions that will affect the classroom directly," Whitney wrote.
The plan - based on funding proposed in Gov. Bob McDonnell's state budget - takes into account a $6 million gap caused in part by a loss in state funding and a higher expected contribution to the Virginia Retirement System. The Suffolk budget plan also will require $47.1 million in local funding, up $3.5 million from this year.
Whitney's budget introduction letter refers to the city's greater ability to pay for its schools, based on the state formula. The school division expects to lose $1.5 million from the state because of the latest calculations.
Through a spokeswoman, city officials declined to comment Monday on the request for increased funding, saying they had not had the opportunity to review the proposal.
At its peak funding - the 2008-09 school year - the school division had a budget of $153.5 million. This latest plan is down nearly 2 percent from the current budget of $139.8 million.
School division employees were last given cost-of-living raises and the opportunity to move to the next step on the pay scale in July 2008. In some cases, rookie teachers are making the same amount as teachers who joined the division more than five years ago: $38,900.
In addition to no salary increases, the 2012-13 budget proposal includes no new equipment and eliminates funding for the Sentara Obici Hospital licensed practical nurse program.
If forced to cut further, Whitney wrote, layoffs, furloughs and the elimination of additional programs will be on the table.
Whitney will present his proposal to the School Board on Thursday, when the public will be able to weigh in on it. Sign-ups aren't required, but speakers are asked to arrive by 7 p.m. The meeting will be in council chambers at the municipal center, 441 Market St.
If the board approves the budget in March, the proposal will advance to the City Council for consideration. Final adoption is scheduled for May.
The full budget plan is available online at www.spsk12.net.
Hattie Brown Garrow, 757-222-5562, hattie.brown@pilotonline.com
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hmmm
The silence on reducing administrator pay, reducing central administration personnel, closing half filled schools, and paring back on "specialists" is deafening. The local community colleges offer nursing programs so why are high schools being redundant and wasting funds. And there seems to be magical money for raises (the taxpaying population sure haven't received and in fact family income is down because previously employed full time workers are only working part time or not at all)and new program of "public service". I hope all the kids' parents have them volunteer with churches.
No surprise
Give our current City Council members and our current school board members I can't see anything getting better when it comes to our school system. Our Council members need to be replaced because half of them are so old they can't even hear, and our school board members well.....its clear to see what we are working with in suffolk. Our City needs to fun our students with the funding they deserve as well as the teachers doing all of the work. Maybe if our City had not just purchased brand new Tahoes for the dept. heads they could save some people their jobs. What a waste.......Things really need to change in this city. Good police officers are leaving and now good teachers will start leaving!