Schools Budget Likely to Worsen In WJCC

By Amber Lester Sunday, May 09, 2010

Acting Superintendent Scott Burckbuchler presented a bleak outlook for Williamsburg-James City County Schools’ future budgets during a joint meeting with the Board of Supervisors on Wednesday.

Although the school board’s adopted budget did not reduce the number of teaching positions this year, it might not be possible to preserve those jobs in the next two years, he said. Burckbuchler was on hand with three members of the school board to present the school division’s budget to the Board of Supervisors. The board is reviewing its own budget, which is expected to be adopted at its May 11 meeting.

Between reduced contributions from the state, decreased revenue in the localities and rising costs, the school division could be spending $670 less per student in two years. For the first time, the division might not be able to save teachers’ jobs.

“We’ve already gone deeply into administrative and support staff,” Burckbuchler said. “Unfortunately, what is left is the instructional side of the house. At some point, you have nowhere else to go.”

One of the budgetary hurdles will be paying back the money saved when the General Assembly reduced the Virginia Retirement Systems rate for the next two years. The reduced rate allowed schools to pay less money into retirement savings for their employees, but approximately $6.5 million will have to be repaid in two years.

Board of Supervisors member Jim Icenhour likened the VRS deal to a “payday loan.” “In 2013, that requirement to spend that money will come back, plus you have to figure out how you’re going to pay it back,” he said. “It’s like a payday loan; it’s going to be really ugly and hard to get out from under. But it is what it is from the state.”

Burckbuchler agreed with the assessment, saying, “One of the things the GA did do was start to take a look at creating two different benefit packages for existing and new employees. I’m not sure on the impact of that for the overall health for the fund. There are multiple things going on, largely dependent on the stock market.”

In the next budget biennium, the GA will likely also remove a “hold harmless” provision on the local composite index score that determines how much money schools receive from the state. When the LCI scores were adjusted, WJCC’s composite index went up, meaning the school division would receive $2 million less in funding from the state. But the GA granted a “hold harmless” provision to help schools that would be negatively affected by the change, including WJCC. When the “hold harmless” disappears, the localities will be expected to contribute more to schools.

The supervisors asked the school board members and Burckbuchler how the division will prepare for a fourth middle school, likely needed in seven years. The current plan, which has already gone to bid, would temporarily convert James Blair Middle School into a central office for the administration and a home for the Academy for Life and Learning. The best bid to return, Burckbuchler said, is $1.7 million for the entire conversion, including necessary heating and cooling upgrades. If the school board approves the bid and moves forward with the plan, the division can save approximately $150,000. That money is usually spent on rent for trailers and office space.

“From a financial perspective, it makes sense to go forward because of the competitive nature of the bid we received,”  Burckbuchler said, adding he expects the board will wrestle with its decision.

County Administrator Sandy Wanner suggested the board could decide to keep Blair as an administration building and build a fourth middle school elsewhere; supervisor Mary Jones suggested expanding middle schools if possible.

Icenhour suggested the board could save money by scrapping a plan to build an auxiliary gym in the Jamestown district; he said the same money could be used for a permanent central office. “I know that’s a sore point with folks because everybody wants those aux. [sic] gyms,” he said.
School board member Elise Emanuel said perhaps the community could utilize James Blair’s gym, auditorium and lobby after school dismissal.

Ruth Larson said the auxiliary space is needed, however. “We have wrestlers practicing in the hallways,” she said, adding it would provide additional instructional space.

The board of supervisors will likely adopt the county budget at its next meeting, starting at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the boardroom of Building F in the county complex. The school board will meet at the same time in the Stryker Building in Williamsburg.