York School Board Will Ask Supervisors for Level Funding

By Amber Lester Kennedy Tuesday, March 15, 2011

The York County School Board informally agreed Monday to ask the Board of Supervisors for level funding for fiscal year 2012.

Superintendent Eric Williams asked the board for direction regarding his proposal to use additional revenue to provide step pay increases and purchase bus fuel. His recommendation is contingent on the Board of Supervisors granting the division’s request for level funding, but the board has already indicated it plans to decrease school funding by $330,000. On Monday, the school board members agreed to move forward with Williams’ proposal.

The state budget approved by the General Assembly gave the division $700,444 in additional revenue. Because the division will also save $569,718 in contributions to the Virginia Retirement System, Williams is recommending allocating a total of $1.2 million toward step pay increases for eligible licensed and non-licensed employees. He also recommended allocating $45,162 to bus fuel, which would partially restore a cut recommended in an earlier draft of the budget.

Williams’ $116 million proposal eliminates 15 positions tied to enrollment losses of 190 students, and trims the budgets for textbooks and bus replacements. It also incorporated the addition of six Special Education teachers to meet demand.

At Monday’s meeting, the board members had no reservations about moving forward with the revised proposal. Barbara Haywood did note, however, that if the Board of Supervisors does not grant their request for level funding, some cuts would have to return to the budget. The board is scheduled to approve the budget at its March 21 meeting.

During the work session, the board also discussed the ongoing planning to implement a hybrid 4x4 schedule into three of the division’s high schools — York High, Bruton High and York River Academy. By January, the steering committee and site-based committees had completed about 67 percent of the tasks identified; the committees have now completed about 84 percent of the tasks. Director of Secondary Education Kipp Rogers said tasks are being added to the list as the groups meet, but those involved feel good about their progress.

Bruton Principal Vicky Corlett and York Principal Antonia Fox briefed the board on what work remains. The teams are beginning to develop the Master Schedule, and the division’s IT department has created a program that will help counselors ensure students have completed the necessary pre-requisite classes to enroll in courses. Counselors will also use checklists to help students balance course loads between the semesters.

The teams recently visited Grassfield High School in Chesapeake, which also uses a hybrid 4x4 schedule, and found that many of the challenges faced at Grassfield have already been addressed in York County’s implementation planning. They also looked at Grassfield’s Virginia Department of Education Report Card and noted that Standards of Learning test scores have improved in the four years Grassfield has used the hybrid schedule. Board member Page Minter said a parent shared that her sister, a parent at Grassfield, adamantly opposed the transition and is now its biggest proponent.

To keep an open line of communication with parents and students, the implementation teams are planning to send letters to parents and create a video for the community, in addition to maintaining an informational website. Both Bruton and York high schools also plan to offer “Parent University” nights in April to address questions.