The Amherst Education Association desires to effect the direct election of school board members in hopes that that move will provide better support for the local school system. President Lewis discussed this change and presented signature sheets in a quest to get 2500 signatures before the end of the year. She fielded questions and presented her case.
ACVDN urges the petition process be waived by the board of supervisors and that they call for a referendum, thus putting this decision where it belongs, in the hands of the Amherst County voters.
The Amherst Education Association is associated with the Virginia Education Association.
Through the contributions of more than 50,000 members working collectively, the Virginia Education Association fulfills these important aims:
• VEA advocates for public education, as well as the professional development and fair treatment of educators.
• VEA helps members develop their skills, and VEA members help each other become better teachers through mentoring and sharing of ideas and techniques.
• VEA helps members save time by providing easy access to information and resources to help them with their profession.
• VEA advocates at both the state and school division level for competitive salaries as well as increased school funding, so Virginia can retain and attract good teachers.
• VEA works to show the public the important social good that public schools, teachers, and education support professionals deliver.
• VEA defends and protects members from unfair regulations, working conditions and professional liabilities.
VEA is the state affiliate of the National Education Association, bringing national resources to its members and carrying their concerns and needs to the national level.
Here's the background on the local funding needs at issue and laid open for discussion.
Late on the night of June 12, the General Assembly finally adopted a budget. A series of events, including the sudden resignation of Senator Puckett, Eric Cantor’s surprise loss in the Republican congressional primary, and a lower-than-expected revenue report, led to a disappointing budget result.
Governor McAuliffe had until June 22 to sign, propose changes or veto the entire budget bill. On June 22, he did sign the bill, but with some significant line-items vetoed. The Governor intends, as he said in a June 20 press conference in strong language, to move forward on Medicaid expansion, which saves the state budget about $300 million each year and has the potential to increase the number of jobs in Virginia.
Here are some of the major points in the budget.
The budget has no salary increase for educators. Earlier versions in both the Senate and the House had the state share of an increase for part of the two-year budget period.
The adopted budget has no provision for expansion of Medicaid. Expanding Medicaid would save Virginia about $300 million over the next two years, freeing up funds for K-12 and other core services.
The budget uses the 14.5% VRS rate (in line with the schedule adopted by the General Assembly in 2012) to address VRS unfunded liability. This action improves the health of the retirement system and adds over $80 million to state costs each year. The General Assembly-approved schedule is set to fully fund the VRS rate by 2018-20.
The General Assembly did, however, decrease the funding for group life insurance and the retiree health care credit to 90% of the recommended amount. This saves almost $10 million over the biennium.
There is no funding for inflation for non-personal expenses, resulting in a reduction of $47 million each year. Non-personal costs include utilities, fuel, health care insurance premiums and other costs. The Senate’s earlier version of the budget funded 24% of inflation, $9.6 million, in 2014-15 only.
There is no funding for the cost-of-competing for support positions in Northern Va. in either year. This action reduced costs by over $20 million. There is no change to the COCA for SOQ instructional positions.
The methodology for the K-3 Class Size reduction program was revised to use a three year average of free lunch eligibility, rather than one year. This cuts costs by over $10 million over the biennium.
Governor McDonnell’s introduced budget maintained the projected VPI non-participation rate in both fiscal year 2015 and fiscal year 2016 at the same 25.43 percent rate contained in Chapter 806 for fiscal year 2014. As a result, state funding for VPI was reduced by $24.2 million in fiscal year 2015 and $24.3 million in fiscal year 2016. The adopted budget funds either the number of slots in McDonnell’s budget or the actual number used in fiscal year 2014, but at a reduced funding level. This adds $1 million to 2014-15 and $3.6 million in 2015-16.
Funding that was in both the earlier House and Senate budgets to provide funding for school construction from the Literary Fund is eliminated. The Literary Fund money will be used to offset costs of teacher retirement.
The adopted financial plan revises the funding formula for the K-3 Class Size Reduction, program resulting in a cut to the program of $5.2 million each year.
Strategic compensation grants are eliminated. These grants, funded at $7.5 million each year, were to provide performance and incentive payments of up to $5,000 for teachers in 13 school divisions who meet goals related to student achievement, professional growth and leadership.
The budget includes $1.8 million each year to provide one reading or math specialist in under performing schools – those schools denied accreditation or accredited with warning for the third year.
The Opportunity Educational Institution is stripped of all funding and staff. The language says that no schools can be transferred to the OEI and that no funds can be transferred to it.
Both plans include a number of technical changes such as updates to Lottery funds, sales tax and various corrections.
Language that Gov. McAuliffe had included to allow local school divisions to participate in the state’s health plan was cut.
The provision continuing Labor Day opening waivers for divisions that had a waiver in 2011-12 is included.
There are a number of smaller appropriations for Jobs for Virginia Graduates, Positive Behaviorial Interventions, Project Discovery and several others.
More information can be found at:
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/administrators/superintendents_memos/2014/158-14a.pdf
For the next two years, the General Assembly’s funding plan is approximately $250 less per pupil each year than state funding was in FY 2009. Progress that was being made earlier in this General Assembly session was lost.
When adjusted for inflation over the period, the per-pupil funding declines $800 in 2015 and $900 in 2016 compared to the 2009 per child amount. This is a 20% decrease in per pupil funding when inflation is taken into account.
The state is mired in a period of revenue shortage and during difficult times everything suffers. The Amherst Educational Association seeks to have the school board elected by the voters versus being appointed as they are now.
The Board of Supervisors Grappled with the Problem
Amherst Democratic News
When the Federal and State cut back on their funding it falls on the leadership in Amherst County to deal with the problem. There was a revenue shortfall, no one wants to pay more in taxes. It is a catch 22, a sticky wicket with no apparent solution.
To bridge an anticipated budget shortfall ranging from $2 million to $4.2 million, Amherst County officials are looking at the possibility of raising real estate and personal property taxes for the second year in a row.
The shortfall range is based on two possible 2014-15 budget scenarios Amherst County Administrator Clarence Monday presented on March 12 at a Board of Supervisors meeting — one that funds all of the counties needs at a greater cost and another that takes a more frugal position but still sees a shortfall.
Both versions of the budget include the possibility of tax increases. For real estate taxes, the potential increase would range from 2 cents to 14 cents above the current rate of .54 per $100 assessed value. For personal property tax, the increase could be between 10 cents and 70 cents above the current rate of $3.45 per $100 assessed value.
In the higher-cost scenario, more items would be funded.
Ignoring the projected deficit of $4.22 million, county supervisors opted to use that version as a hypothetical starting point in its budget deliberations.
In that budget scenario, an overall $42 million budget, the school division would receive an additional $2.06 million over last year’s funding to bridge its own projected shortfall. Two personnel positions would be created and maintenance items, such as a $230,000 allocation targeted for the former Amherst Baptist Church, would be fulfilled.
Amherst Democratic News
“I think it’s important for tax payers to know what it would cost to fund everything that certain constituencies want,” District 2 Supervisor Claudia Tucker said. “And then, I think, we will collect information and collect feedback as we go through this process to come up with something that’s more realistic.”
To cover a scenario in which all these needs are fulfilled without drawing from the county’s undesignated fund reserve (rainey day fund), the board approved, with David Pugh opposing and
Robert Curd absent, advertising tax increases of 14 cents in real estate taxes and a 70 cents in personal property. If approved, the projected rates would equate to a real estate tax rate of 68 cents per $100 of assessed value and a personal property tax rate of $4.15 per $100 assessed value. Supervisors also could opt to adopt rates lower than those advertised, though they could not go above those rates without starting the advertising process anew.
“The logic of that motion is, that I want the tax payers to see what it would cost to fully fund all of our needs, both board [of supervisors] and school board,” Tucker said.
In another version of the proposed budget, which is what Monday recommended, the county would provide $16.2 million to the schools, an increase of $300,000 over last year.
With expenditures exceeding anticipated revenues, even this version of the proposed budget would have a shortfall of $2.16 million. Contributing to the shortfall, Monday said, is a nearly $433,000 reduction in taxable real estate values during the 2014 reassessments. Other items affecting this year’s budget are last year’s pay raise for county employees, and expenditures such as a nearly $200,000 increase in per diem expenses to the Blue Ridge Regional Jail.
To bridge the shortfall in this version of the budget, Monday proposed a 2-cent increase in real estate taxes and a 10-cent increase in personal property taxes, along with a $953,000 appropriation from the county’s (rainey day fund) undesignated funds. From 2009-13, the county’s “rainy day” undesignated fund balance increased by 38 percent to its current standing at $16.6 million.
In that proposed budget, county employees would not receive a pay increase, and only one staff position would be created: a part-time human resources position that Monday felt was justified in the face of last year’s settlement with the U.S. Department of Labor concerning pay practices in the county’s 911 dispatch center. In August, the county paid $103,881.92 to be split between 12 dispatch employees for the recovery of back pay.
“I really had to take a hard stance to get the budget balanced this year because of all the circumstances that came together,” Monday said.
A public hearing on the proposed budget was held on April 8 at 7 p.m. at Amherst County High School.
“It’s up to the people to let us know what they want in a public hearing,” Chairman Don Kidd said. “We’re spending their money, it’s not our money.”
The public spoke and that brings us to today. How do you feel about the issue? If you are interested in direct election of school board members contact President Lewis.
Melanie Lewis
Central Virginia UniServ, District 12
PO Box 4590
4849 Fort Avenue
Lynchburg, VA 24502-0590
434-239-7016
434-239-7030 - Fax
UPDATE:
School Board looks to implement study
For the first time since its release in August, the efficiency study of Amherst County Public Schools was scheduled as a discussion item of the county School Board during its daylong retreat on Wednesday.
During its regular meeting on Oct. 9, the school board strategized ways to approach the study, which recommends the school system spend an estimated $15.4 million over five years to increase efficiency while also identifying cost savings of $1.5 million. For some board members including Beth Gamble and Randy Summers, a good approach was to look at each category of the study and make priorities. According to Gamble, certain recommendations could be quickly implemented, such as discontinuing an employee assistance program because of low participation.
She noted the division’s current efforts in creating an employee handbook, which was recommended by the study, and suggested that administrators document those recommendations that are in the process of being realized.
“We’ve got 71 recommendations to look at. And if we only look at a very narrow portion, we’re not covering the whole system,” Gamble said.
Board chairman Alan Wood said tackling the entire study at once would be too overwhelming. Instead, he suggested, the board should focus on a single section during the retreat while working through any questions it has about the study during that time.
“One section only?” board member Priscilla Liggon asked.
Liggon said she had not been aware that division administrators had begun implementing certain recommendations, and asked Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Julie Rogers if the board would be made aware of such changes at the retreat.
“Otherwise we will be fighting ourselves, if we’ve already started to cure the problem with some medicine and the rest of us don’t even know about the prescription, do we?
We all want to be on the same page.”
During the public comment period, former school board member Jones Stanley admonished the board for having not prioritized and presented a plan for the study’s implementation.
“You people are the school board. You are supposed to be the greatest advocate for Amherst County Public Schools and the students that attend it. You should take the lead in getting these recommendations implemented.” Stanley said. “Nothing’s been done. What are we waiting for? Establish priorities, arrive at a plan and strongly encourage the supervisors to fund and implement the efficiency study. Amherst County Public Schools and the taxpaying citizens of Amherst County deserve, at least, that.”
Highlights of the Efficiency Study
Pleasant View and Temperance elementary schools
While Pleasant View and Temperance both have average enrollments of fewer than 90 students, per-pupil costs of the two schools are not out of line with other division elementary schools.
According to the study, Pleasant View and Temperance elementary schools are “significantly under capacity and have been proposed as candidates for closure without benefit of an in-depth examination of closure consequences.”
Speaking of the division as a whole, the study notes that while Amherst County is not experiencing rapid growth, “it does not appear to be in a period of enrollment decline.” The study further notes that the division is expected to see enrollment growth in the elementary to middle school levels based on five-year projections by the
University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center.
“Based upon its experience with many school closure deliberations, the consulting team does not see clearly obvious and conclusive reasons to close Pleasant View and Temperance elementary schools at this time.”
Personnel cuts
The study notes the loss of 30 positions in the past five years often has forced remaining staff to absorb the work of others “without proper compensation.”
“The ACPS budget cuts over the last five years have stretched teachers and principals to the point of fatigue,” the report states.
The study recommended the division make a list as to which positions should be added back and when provided funding becomes available.
“The impact on programs and workloads must be addressed before it starts to have adverse effects on the quality of teachers and administration employed by ACPS.”
The study notes further that five elementary schools have been cited as schools in improvement and the math performances at each of those schools “is significantly deficient.” At the same time that Standards of Learning tests have increased in rigor, the number of reading and math specialists has decreased. In response, the study
recommends the hiring of two math specialists to be shared by the schools in improvement. The study also advocates the hiring of a mathematics supervisor to relieve some of the burdens from the existing math and science supervisor.
School board elections
The study notes that fewer than 3.8 percent of school boards nationally are appointed. Elections take “the power of patronage out of the hands of the county board of supervisors or other authority, thereby shifting the priorities of the school board from serving the county to serving students, their parents, and the community,” the
study states.
As a recommendation, the study advises school officials to press the issue of elections, adding that a petition process can be waived if the board of supervisors calls for a referendum.
The study also notes the tumultuous relationship between the two boards; supervisors accuse the school board of wasting money while the schools blame the county for funding shortages and appointing people to the school board who are perceived as not being supportive of the schools. The study recommends that the school board support the county in long-range planning, including participation in discussions about economic
development.
“While most civic leaders want to do what is best for their communities, it is easy to lose sight of the common good and focus instead on a personal agenda, particularly when sectors of the community call for partisan politics.”
ACVDN urges the petition process be waived by the board of supervisors and that they call for a referendum, thus putting this decision where it belongs, in the hands of the Amherst County voters.
Financial management
The study advocates improving internal control processes, such as in the division’s payroll division, which is located in the human resources department.
“Having the employee who processes payrolls reporting to the supervisor who also approves employee compensation is considered a weakness in internal controls,” the study states.
The study also recommends the hiring of a staff member to assist the chief financial officer, which would aid internal control processes.
Food services
The study notes that the cafeterias at Pleasant View and Temperance operate at a loss with “extremely high” labor costs in addition to high food costs. The study says a potential solution is that existing personnel — including bus drivers and teachers aides or even a parent — assist service during meal times.
The study recommends reducing child nutrition staff hours at those schools. It also encourages the development of strategies to increase student participation in the schools’ meal programs.
Facilities maintenance
The study notes that the division does not fund facilities maintenance at “best practice levels” and a “considerable” amount of deferred maintenance has accrued over time.
“In the long run, a chronic unaddressed accumulation of deferred maintenance will cost Amherst County taxpayers an average of 15 to 40 times the original maintenance cost that has been deferred,” the study notes. The study recommends the division provide an annual level of funding to remedy the deferred maintenance issues at a cost of roughly $1.8 up to $1.9 million over a five-year period, if other recommended expenditures are implemented.
Technology
The study notes that the division has “no dedicated local funds for the purchase of additional technology equipment.” Teachers also need more professional development in integrating technology into the classroom, it states.
The study recommends the replacement of an instructional technology resource teacher lost during earlier budget cuts.
Study Shows More Money Needed. Where Will It Come From?
The Amherst County Board of Supervisors may need to shell out more money to the county school system in the coming years to make the division more efficient.
According to a study, Amherst County Public Schools should spend an estimated $15.4 million more over five years to increase efficiency. In contrast, estimated savings amounted to only $1.5 million.
For some past and current school officials, the results of the efficiency study, released Thursday night, was a moment of vindication.
Efficiency studies are voluntary programs designed to recommend cost-saving measures within a division. In Amherst County, the study was conducted by Prismatic Services, Inc.
School divisions that undergo an efficiency study are required to implement 50 percent of the recommendations within a two-year period or achieve 50 percent of the
potential savings.
During a joint meeting Thursday evening between the Amherst County Board of Supervisors and the school board, Prismatic founder Tatia Prieto gave a brief summary of the contents of the study.
Prismatic held site visits in April and requested detailed information about the division.
“It was a very invasive process,” Prieto said.
Information about the division was compared to school systems of similar enrollment and composite index and percentage of free and reduced lunch.
Prieto said Prismatic will find cost-savings, if those savings are to be found.
“We’re not above digging … through couch cushions to find the quarters at the bottom,” Prieto said.
Out of 73 recommendations made by Prismatic, 31 had “fiscal impacts.”
While some community members feared Pleasant View and Temperance elementary schools would be closed because of their small size, the study’s first recommendation was not to close any school, a response that received massive support from the crowd.
Instead, the school system should improve the use of the schools through redistricting all elementary schools.
“We need to redistrict, we need to rezone, we need to adjust the attendance in Amherst,” Prieto said.
Another recommendation that drew thunderous applause was to seat new members to the school board through elections as opposed to the current system of appointment by the Amherst County Board of Supervisors.
The report also recommended the creation of new positions — math specialists, a financial assistant to the division’s chief financial officer and custodial personnel.
The school system should fully-fund “reactive and preventive maintenance of school facilities at best practices” which, according to Prieto, was the biggest expenditure in the report at $1.9 million.
“It is hard to emphasize enough how much preventative maintenance is important to a school division,” Prieto said.
In contrast to the substantial investment recommended, the report only highlights $1.5 million in savings over five years.
Superintendent Steven Nichols said after the meeting he spent more than a month last year reviewing the school system in a manner similar to Prismatic.
“I said publicly then that our schools were in very good shape and were a bargain for the taxpayers,” Nichols said. “Tonight I’ve been vindicated by an agency of state government and an outside contractor. We are efficient. The gap between what we need and what we’ve been getting is a large sum of money, and we’re now going to move forward trying to find ways, to help the Board of Supervisors find ways, to fulfill our obligations.”
Board of Supervisors Chairman Don Kidd has been a long-time proponent for an efficiency study.
“The citizens of Amherst County are justly proud of its excellent school system,” Kidd said in a prepared statement. “The administration will be working hard to find the funding to implement the recommendations of the efficiency study.
“We have something to gauge now and that’s excellent. All of us are on the same playing field and are on level ground and I’m looking forward to the school board and the Board of Supervisors working together.”
School board member Beth Gamble said she was not surprised by the outcome and was pleased with the recommendation regarding Pleasant View and Temperance elementary
schools, which she called integral parts of the community.
Former school board member Jones Stanley was jubilant.
“I want a great big headline: Schools are efficient — super efficient,” Stanley said.
In June, Stanley challenged the Board of Supervisors to a wager: if the efficiency study failed to recommend the redistricting of the county to increase enrollment of Pleasant View and Temperance elementary schools, then Stanley would stand at the traffic circle in the town of Amherst and make a public apology. If his prediction was
accurate, Stanley expected the Board of Supervisors to reciprocate the action.
“I expect to see Mr. Kidd at the traffic circle …” Stanley said.
Re Elect Warner Action Under Way
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Am Dems in Action manning the Mark Warner for Senate phone banks.
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