York County School Division Superintendent Eric Williams used Monday’s school board meeting to offer some clarifying remarks about what he said are misconceptions about YCSD’s budget and the analysis it has received from the York County Board of Supervisors.
Williams said nobody has ever said there is not enough money to give a 3 percent raise to YCSD staff. He said there is not enough money in the budget allocation proposed by York County Administrator James McReynolds to both provide that raise and meet the division’s most urgent needs. A gulf of about $2 million exists between the budget passed by the school board and what is proposed by McReynolds for the fiscal year which runs from July 1 through June 2015.
He then turned his attention to an analysis of YCSD’s new expenses for the upcoming fiscal year by the supervisors at their April 8 work session. At that meeting, the supervisors agreed there was enough money in McReynolds’ proposal for YCSD to make do.
“This analysis is grossly oversimplified and ignores information we have presented,” Williams said of the supervisors’ review. He said their analysis ignores information from months’ worth of school board work sessions regarding needs, including textbooks and technology.
Williams also took issue with information presented by McReynolds at the April 9 work session pertaining to county funding contributions to YCSD. At that meeting, McReynolds said YCSD has lost $11.7 million in state funding since 2009, while the county has stepped in with more than $9.1 million in additional funding, a figure that represents every penny raised through tax rate increases during that time plus an additional $943,239.
He said the notion that the county has increased funding to YCSD in recent years is accurate but is not the “complete picture.” By factoring in surging healthcare costs and increased contributions to the Virginia Retirement System, the budget for the upcoming fiscal year is below the budget for fiscal year 2007.
Williams pointed to statistics that show York County as having a high ability to contribute to the school divisions’ budget, noting the county spends 74 percent above the required local spending level. He then compared that percentage to Newport News, which spends 101 percent above, and Virginia Beach, which clocks in at 122 percent above. York County was 75th among Virginia municipalities in fiscal year 2013 for local expenditures for school operations above the required legal minimum.
He closed by pointing to the differences in compensation between YCSD and county employees. He said the supervisors’ review of compensation ignores the fact that the county has more quickly implemented mandated increases in VRS spending — a 5 percent raise to all government employees required by law.
“We wanted to do so, but we didn’t have the money,” Williams said. “The consequence for employees is important. Our employees will have our retirement benefits lower forever because the county proceeded and we did not.”
The school board members echoed comments they have made in the past regarding the need for the supervisors to fully fund their budget request.
“This has been a very trying budget cycle,” School Board Member R. Page Minter said. “It bothers me a lot as I go home at night after meetings and think about what we can’t do and what we need to do.”
School Board Member Cindy Kirschke said compensation is at the top of her priority list, a sentiment also expressed by School Board Member Barbara Haywood.
“We have done all we know how to do with the small amount of funds we have,” Haywood said.
York County School Board Member Robert George wrote a letter last week to York County Supervisor Thomas Shepperd the day after the supervisors hosted a public hearing regarding the budget at which more than 25 people spoke in favor of fully funding YCSD’s budget request and raising taxes to do so. Nobody spoke in opposition to YCSD at that hearing.
“I like to think that the school board and board of supervisors have a common vision, but I have to say my faith in that is a little bit shaken,” George said before reading YCSD’s goal and mission statement aloud.
During the meeting, a parent also spoke in favor of fully funding the budget request as did Dena Montini, a teacher at Grafton High School.
“At what point do I cut my losses, quit teaching and try something else?” Montini asked. “I used to spend my mental free time dreaming up creative lesson plans, and now I spend it researching other careers.”
The supervisors will host a budget work session at 6 p.m. today. They are scheduled to host another one Thursday before adopting their budget May 6.
Related Coverage:
- York School Board’s Robert George Calls Out Supervisor Thomas Shepperd Over Budget Remarks
- YCSD Employees, Parents Rally for Higher Taxes at York County Budget Hearing
- York Supervisors: No Tax Rate Increase; Schools Need to Prioritize
- Parents, Teachers Talk YCSD Budget Issues at Community Meeting
- York Supervisors Face Impending Deadline on Whether to Consider Tax Rate Increase
- York School Board to Supervisors: Fund Our ‘Needs-Based’ Budget
- Proposed York Budget Keeps Taxes Level, Offers 3 Percent Raise for Employees
- York School Board Continues Work on Budget Despite Uncertainty About Local, State Funding Contributions
- York Superintendent’s Proposed Budget Asks County for 5.8 Percent Funding Increase
