York SB Talks Budget, Speakers Advocate for School of Arts

By Amber Lester Kennedy Tuesday, January 24, 2012

(Editor's note: Numbers regarding cuts to operations have been changed due to an error in the charts presented at Monday's meeting.)

The York County School Board met for its third budget work session Monday afternoon, discussing possible reductions to secondary schools staffing, instructional support and operations.

The work session was followed by the board’s regular meeting, where several speakers advocated for preserving instructional funding as much as possible during a budget public hearing. Students, parents and a teacher from the School of the Arts also spoke in favor of keeping the magnet program.

The York County School Division is trying to address a $9 million budget gap for the upcoming fiscal year. Increased expenditures include $4.5

State funding to the division will decrease by $1.1 million because the county’s local composite index (LCI) score is set to go up. The LCI score shows a locality’s ability to pay for its education; it is reset every two years, but York County was one of several localities granted a “hold harmless” from the increase in 2010. Localities receive less state funding when their LCI rises.

Earlier this month, Superintendent Eric Williams shared a preliminary list of possible cuts, including the elimination of 44 teaching positions, 13 Para-educators and nine full-time custodians. He also recommended finding new sources of revenue, such as introducing athletic fees for middle and high school students and supply fees for elective courses.

He has recommended the school division request an additional $4.5 million in funding from the Board of Supervisors. At a work session last week, he shared some of the deeper cuts the school board might have to consider if their request is denied in April. In a series of work sessions, Williams and his staff are showing how each section of the school budget could be cut further. Williams said he isn’t recommending any of the additional cuts, but wants to be clear what could be on the table if more cuts are needed.

Secondary Teacher and Instructional Support Reductions

On Monday, the administrators reviewed how the board could reduce secondary teacher staffing, instructional support and student supplies. If teaching positions are lost in middle and high schools, class sizes will increase and courses with low enrollment might be eliminated, according to Chief Academic Officer Stephanie Guy. Some of those courses could be replaced with virtual options, she said.

Out of the 404 current secondary teachers, 19.6 positions could be cut in the initial reductions. If the deeper cuts are necessary in April, that could rise to 32.5 lost positions. Among guidance departments in secondary schools, several part-time positions could be cut. Part-time positions at Tabb Middle, Bruton High, Tabb High and York River Academy could be lost if deeper cuts are needed.

The division employs Assessment and Compliance Coordinators (ACC) and Assessment, Compliance and Intervention Coordinators (ACI). They are responsible for administering standardized tests, coordinating the division’s Response to Intervention program and implementing 504 plans, which accommodate students’ special needs. In the initial cuts, two of those positions could be lost; in the deeper cuts, four could be cut — one at Bethel Manor, one at Tabb Elementary and one part-time position each at Grafton Middle, Queens Lake Middle, Tabb Middle and Yorktown Middle.

Eliminations could also include a community outreach counselor, adult education coordinator and associate director of instruction.

A few schools could lose assistant principals. The assistant principal positions at Bethel Manor and Waller Mill could go to half a job, and one of two assistant principals could be eliminated at Magruder and Yorktown elementary schools.

The division might also consider reducing the school per-pupil supply allocations by $5 per student.

Operations Reductions

The school division will also have to consider deep cuts to its operations budget, including custodial services, vehicles maintenance and technology instructional support.

MGT of America, a consulting service specializing in government, states the best practice for a custodial cleaning staff is 19,000 square feet of building space per custodian. Right now, York County has one custodian for every 20,006 of its total 1.8 million square feet. If deeper cuts are needed, pushing the reductions to 15 jobs, each custodian will be assigned to 22,910 square feet.

Vehicles Maintenance Services workers service the school bus fleet. If the board had to make more cuts in April, a service technician helper position would be eliminated. In addition, two computer support technicians on the Instructional Technology Support staff could be cut.

Administrative travel could also be cut 10 percent. Board member Cindy Kirschke suggested the board members should limit their travel, as well; she proposed only two members attend the National School Board Association conference this year.

Citizen Reactions

Eight citizens spoke during a public hearing on the budget, most of them advocating for the School of the Arts, a magnet program housed at Bruton High School, and its sister arts program at Queens Lake Middle School.

If the board has to find more cuts in the budget, the administration said magnet programs could be trimmed. Parents, students and one teacher argued the arts program provides the kinds of classes that inspire kids to enjoy school, and provide opportunities that make them stand out in college applications and prepare them for future careers in the arts.

Rhythmic Arts teacher Katie Sheehan said the school couldn’t possibly operate without a dedicated program coordinator and wouldn’t work if absorbed into Bruton High School. Currently, students from any York high school, plus Williamsburg-James City County high schools, can apply to attend the School of the Arts for arts-related courses, while taking the rest of their classes at their home schools. If the program were folded into Bruton’s curriculum, students would have to either transfer schools or not attend. Several student speakers said in that instance, they would opt not to attend the School of the Arts.

Pam Pouchot suggested the school division explore creative and novel ways to generate revenue. She suggested fighting state laws that prevent advertisements on school buses; selling or leasing vending contracts; hosting Bingo nights; collaborating with Hampton Roads Transit for bus services; and even putting ads on report cards. “Tacky? Sure,” she said.

She finished by saying that if every citizen in the county gave $10, the school division would have more than half a million dollars to add to its coffers. With that, she presented a check for $20 to Board Chair Barbara Haywood and said, “That’s for instructional spending only.”