Different Methods, Same Message: Save Schools Funding

By Amber Lester Wednesday, March 03, 2010

Historic Triangle parents, citizens and education advocates are mobilizing to fight proposed cuts to education funding.

On Feb. 18, Gov. Bob McDonnell unveiled his plan to cut $730 million in education funding, including coaching stipends, school breakfast initiatives and money to lease or rent space. Three days later, the Virginia House and Senate unveiled their own bills, which they approved on Feb.25.

Now, a committee will work to merge the House and Senate bills into one cohesive bill by March 13. Meanwhile, superintendents across the state are preparing their own proposed budgets. Once those approved by the school boards, they’ll move on for approval by the Board of Supervisors or City Council. The citizen groups hope to have their concerns heard before the budgets are approved by the localities.

The groups issuing calls-to-arms in the past two weeks include the Williamsburg-James City Education Foundation, the Williamsburg-James City County Education Association, Support Schools Now and Parent Teacher Association members in both James City and York counties. Their e-mails and calls have varied in words, but share a theme: the community must demand adequate funding for schools.

In an e-mail forwarded to Support Schools Now members, DJ Montague Elementary School teacher Melissa Sessoms shared her concerns, calling the proposed cuts “staggering.”

“When you consider that estimates are at this moment that 30,000 teachers across Virginia are going to lose their jobs this year, along with thousands more aides, support staff, custodial workers, and the list could keep going, it is enough to make you have a panic attack,” Sessoms wrote.

She urged readers to contact state legislators, saying she’s heard every e-mail gets counted. She also recommended as many people turn out to local meetings as possible. “It’s a lot harder to make those decisions when you’re staring at a flood of people that you will be directly affecting versus a puddle,” she wrote.

The Williamsburg and James City County Democrats are also launching a campaign to prevent dramatic cuts from education funding.

The two groups are working together to “take a stand for public schools,” according to an e-mail sent to members by James City County Democrats chair Ralph Bresler. The Democrats set up a Web site and are advertising to encourage citizens to speak out at Board of Supervisors and City Council meetings.

“We’re just going to try to put some pressure on the board of supervisors to do what they can to save our schools from catastrophic cuts,” Bresler said. “Our efforts will be more at the local level; at the state level, many groups have mobilized to try to do what they can to stop some of the Draconian cuts.”

The Virginia Organizing Project is one such organization that will attempt to show state legislators that education funding is a priority. A local group is planning to raise funds through a bake sale from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday at the Williamsburg Downtown Library. Representatives from other organizations facing cuts, such as Avalon, will also be on hand to describe their services. A description on the group’s Facebook page says, “Instead of fighting over how to divide the pie, join us in raising revenue to bake a bigger pie! We may not raise $4 billion, but we’ll show that our state government has options besides cutting vital public services.”

Local organizer Ben Thacker-Gwaltney says any funds raised will be donated to the state’s general fund. He added that the gesture is meant to show that if regular people can raise money, the state can, as well.