York Superintendent Recommends Step Pay Increases

York Superintendent Recommends Step Pay Increases

By Amber Lester Kennedy Wednesday, March 09, 2011

Entering the budget development process, York County Schools Superintendent Eric Williams cautiously recommended no raises, and several cuts. But he presented a different plan to the School Board on Monday night.

The budget approved by the General Assembly two weeks ago gave the division $700,444 in additional revenue. Williams is proposing a plan to reinstitute the step pay increases that have been frozen for the past three years. He also recommended allocating $45,162 to bus fuel, which would partially restore a cut recommended in an earlier draft of his budget.

The pay raises and additional bus fuel money would be possible because the division will have to pay $570,000 less to the Virginia Retirement System than previously expected. The step pay raises would cost $1.2 million for all eligible staff, with no adjustment for the staff members at the top of the scale.

The first draft of Williams’ $116 million budget was based on Gov. Bob McDonnell’s proposed budget amendments, released in December 2010. His proposal, released in late February, eliminates 15 positions tied to enrollment losses of 190 students, and trims the budgets for textbooks, bus replacements and bus fuel. It also reflects mandated new expenditures, including $2.2 million for increases in the Virginia Retirement System rate and $300,000 to pay for six additional full-time Special Education teachers.

While York County officials have said they plan to provide $330,000 less in funding, Williams urged the board to ask for level funding. Last year, the board successfully requested and was granted an additional $600,000, partially on the basis that many York County residents moved there for the schools.

The board will have until March 14 to decide whether to include the pay raises or requests for level funding in their budget, which is scheduled to be approved March 21. Follow the budget process for York County Schools here.

Comments

0 #14 Guest 2011-08-23 16:41

For the person speaking about the superintendent. .He does have a PhD and his wife is a teacher! He does a excellent job and cares about the students and community.

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+4 #13 Guest 2011-03-09 19:52

Where is the full posting by Taxpayer Gets an F? It is quoted in other posts, but doesn't seem to appear anywhere else.

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+4 #12 Guest 2011-03-09 17:13

@Amazed - no one is disputing that the teachers do not do a great job. The problem is the economy is going bust right now. When the economy is down we ALL make sacrifices just to keep going. I as a taxpayer have zero problem with giving teachers a raise, and even retro paying them, once the economy loosens up. Until then, they should sit tight right along w/ the rest of us. Ask others, outside of the public sector, if their pay has increased during these tough economic times. Some have taken a CUT just to allow their co-workers to keep their jobs. SACRIFICE a little, and stop w/ the entitlement. We ALL work hard, and we ALL deserve raises, but in the midst of an economic crisis is NOT the time!!!

Quoting Amazed:

"Taxpayer Gets an F" has a great point (and unlike "Taxpayer" I can actually use the correct form and spelling of those words, and I have neither a "PHD" nor was I educated in the 1930s). Here's an idea..maybe we could look at some facts about York County schools. They all have very high percentages of students passing the SOLs at all grade levels; all four high schools have over 95% graduation rates; and those graduates are accepted into some of the best universities in the country (the last time I checked, there wasn't a penmanship section on the SAT test). Sure looks like some YCSD teachers must be doing something right. By the way, the teachers don't know exactly which SOL questions will be asked in any given cycle - the tests come from the state and are closely guarded. Teachers can get fired for discussing the test questions AFTER the students have taken the tests.

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+1 #11 Guest 2011-03-09 15:57

Aren't the Williamsburg teachers some of the best paid in the area?? I'm very sorry that the economy has gone bust and you don't get your annual increase, but MANY OF US ARE IN THE SAME BOAT in the private sector!! Can you not be happy that you at least HAVE A JOB, unlike so very many others who are sitting on unemployment or in underemployed jobs?

I say use that money to EDUCATE THE CHILDREN, not increase wages when the economy doesn't allow for it!!!! When the economy is sailing again, the teachers will get their raises. Right now, that is just NOT A PRIORITY!!

btw.... speaking of fuel prices, why doesn't the district take a que from Las Vegas and burn BIODIESEL!!! (Watch the 2008 Documentary - FUEL - if you are unsure of what biodiesel is all about.)

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+3 #10 Guest 2011-03-09 15:11

"Taxpayer Gets an F" has a great point (and unlike "Taxpayer" I can actually use the correct form and spelling of those words, and I have neither a "PHD" nor was I educated in the 1930s). Here's an idea..maybe we could look at some facts about York County schools. They all have very high percentages of students passing the SOLs at all grade levels; all four high schools have over 95% graduation rates; and those graduates are accepted into some of the best universities in the country (the last time I checked, there wasn't a penmanship section on the SAT test). Sure looks like some YCSD teachers must be doing something right. By the way, the teachers don't know exactly which SOL questions will be asked in any given cycle - the tests come from the state and are closely guarded. Teachers can get fired for discussing the test questions AFTER the students have taken the tests.

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+1 #9 Guest 2011-03-09 14:15

Common Sense makes sense. To bad the other one has to resort to name calling and bulling to not prove his point.

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+2 #8 Guest 2011-03-09 14:14

Wouldn't the below statement go against the WYDaily statement that "Personal attacks on others, indecent language and bad manners in general are unwelcome."?

Quoting Taxpayer Gets an F:

Good grief. This dude actually says things like this and expects us to believe he has a PhD?

He doesn't even type PhD correctly, much less use complete sentences or correct punctuation.

Once again, "Taxpayer" gets and F.....and reminds us of the slug-like level of cognitive ability possessed by those like himself who write ignorant hate-speech about our schools.

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-3 #7 Guest 2011-03-09 13:56

I would agree with Taxpayer and burger. In fact I would take it a step further and say that there should be no such thing as government schools. Privatize them all. Competition would bring down the cost and those of us that don't have kiddies wouldn't have to pay.

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+7 #6 Guest 2011-03-09 12:04

What you see here is the problem with government. All of a sudden found money has to be spent and not returned to the state treasury (which is really the people). This situation reminds me of what is happening in Wisconsin. No accountability.

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-7 #5 Guest 2011-03-09 11:32

Burger has a grat pt. They only work 9 months out of the year that leave 3 months in the summer that they can go to butch gardens and work or someplace else.

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