WJCC schools trim budget more, but still running short
Good morning! In more budget news, York County school supporters pack hearing on county budget, and Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears speaks to local leaders.
Williamsburg-James City County school administrators trimmed their upcoming budget by another $4.56 million this week, but it’s still not enough to balance the budget.
Depending on the final state contribution, the school board was told Tuesday night, schools would need from $815,000 to $2 million more to balance the operating budget for the fiscal year that begins in July. Their capital budget also faces a shortfall of $4.2 million, the school’s budget chief said.
The schools asked for a double digit increase from local taxpayers to fund their initial $197 million budget, which included raises for teachers to bring their pay more in line with what other localities pay. School enrollment has been flat at around 11,300 students for several years, but administrators said the population of students who need extra support – from those who are economically disadvantaged to those who are learning English – had grown significantly.
James City County, where the majority of students live, provides 90% of local funding. It was asked for 11% more in funding but budgeted only a 2.8% percent rise, for a total of $99.2 million. Williamsburg is paying more than its requested increase, a total of $12.6 million.
To save money the school administration cut 35 positions it wanted to add, many of them to support students with behavioral problems or special education needs. It also tweaked other areas of the budget and will let some positions go unfilled.
The revised budget retains a planned 3% wage increase for staff and pays 70% of their medical insurance.
School board Chair Sarah G. Ortego said that in addition to pay raises, the schools sought additional staff to control elementary school misbehavior which is “a significant problem for learning.”
“It just couldn’t be done this year,” she added, saying she is talking to local elected officials to see if more funds can be added.
Sources said James City County might be able to add as much as $800,000 to the schools’ ask, but not the full amount schools seek.
Few of the taxpayers who have spoken at the county budget hearings held by the board of supervisors have advocated greater spending for the schools.
But the president of the Williamsburg-James City County Education Association, Marco Sardi, told the board his group has spearheaded an email campaign to local elected officials that generated 700 emails seeking more school funding.
Sardi hinted the group may push again for a collective bargaining agreement with the schools, which was voted down by the school board last year.
Tax me, give shoools more, speakers at York public hearing say
School supporters packed the York County Board of Supervisors public hearing on the county budget Tuesday night to request full funding for York County schools. Only two speakers complained about county plans to raise taxes by $8 million.
County Administrator Mark Bellamy proposes raising county contributions to the schools’ $201 million budget by $1 million to $73. 3 million, which includes payments on school debt.
But the schools are still short $3.57 million to meet their goals of raising teacher pay and funding programs.
York County’s proposed budget of $288 million will provide raises for non-school employees and add more money for schools, but not the full amount requested.
The proposed county budget would raise real estate taxes for the first time in nine years to 78 cents per $100 in value and bring personal property taxes back to $4 per $100 from the $3.80 they have been for several years.
Solid waste charges would increase by $2 every other month for all categories except the discounted senior citizens rate, which would go up $7. Several other permit and filing fees will also be increased, Bellamy said.
Two of the 18 speakers at the hearing criticized the tax hikes. Resident Eddie James said his home assessments have gone up 35% over the past six years, his flood insurance has doubled, and homeowners’ insurance is up 20%.
But they were outnumbered by school supporters who showed, including School Superintendent Victor Shandor and School Board Chair Kimberly S. Goodwin.
“While I consider myself fiscally conservative and favor low taxes, I also recognize that excellence comes with a price,” Goodwin said. She noted York schools have the highest student scores in Hampton Roads and spend the least per pupil.
Several of the school supporters blasted the supervisors for not being creative about finding new sources of revenue from economic development.
The supervisors seemed open to doing more.
District 5 Supervisor Thomas G. Shepperd Jr. asked county staff to look at additional revenue sources, including reinstating the boat tax and raising real estate and car taxes a bit more.
He also asked Bellamy to meet with the school superintendent to find out what percentage pay raises other school systems in the area are giving their employees.
District 3 Supervisor Wayne Drewry noted that at a recent town hall on the budget, about half of those present wanted more money for schools, and half wanted lower taxes.
“At the end of the day, half of you are not going to be happy,” he said.
Board Chair Sheila Noll said the current budget was very tight and had no investments planned for the county’s future. “You can’t live day to day,” she noted.
GOP gubernatorial candidate tells regional chamber she’ll grow jobs, not government
Lt. Gov. Winesome Earle-Sears says the biggest difference between her Democratic opponent Abigail Spanberger and she is that “she would grow government (as governor) and I am growing business” because that is what creates jobs.
Earle-Sears told a Greater Williamsburg Chamber of Commerce breakfast Wednesday, “You’re the ones that are going to create the jobs that we are going to be able to tax….to pay for the roads, the schools…. (and) quality of life.” Attracting business to the state provides more state revenue without increasing the tax rate, she explained.
She repeated past accusations that Spanberger supported defunding the police, a claim that has been challenged by several fact checking stories. She said Spanberger, who enjoys union support, has voted to push back right to work laws that prohibit mandatory union membership as a condition of employment.
A Spanberger spokesperson said she repeatedly voted for record police funding while in Congress but did not comment on her stance on Virginia’s right to work law.
The lieutenant governor, who immigrated from Jamaica at age six, is the first female lieutenant governor of Virginia, and is also the first black female and first female veteran elected to a statewide office.
She said the current administration of Gov. Glenn Youngkin eliminated 50,000 business regulations that help create 15,000 new businesses. She noted the state has returned $1 billion to taxpayers while still retaining a $3.2 billion budget surplus because of the tax revenue from economic growth.
Earle-Sears said her administration would make education a continuing priority – not just K-12 but also colleges and training for trades.
She also said Virginia needs to continue building diversified energy resources because its economic growth now requires it to import 40% of the energy it needs. She said all forms of energy were needed, including fossil fuels.
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation President Cliff Fleet, who served as master of ceremonies, noted that federal spending is 40% of the Hampton Roads economy. He asked the lieutenant governor what the state needs to do to protect itself from looming spending cuts under the Trump Administration.
Earle-Sears said the state’s high credit rating and its rainy day and reserve funds give it cushion against cuts.
The 250,000 new jobs she said have been created in Virginia’s private sector also offer opportunities to federal employees who get laid off, she added.
“I know what it’s like to lose a job,” she said, “I’ve lost a job, it’s not the best thing in the world.”
Her comments Thursday contrasted with earlier comments attributed to her in which she seemed to be downplaying the impact of job losses among federal employees in Northern Virginia who have been laid off by the Trump Administration.
Last month the left-leaning MeidasTouch digital outlet surfaced audio of a speaker it identified as Earle-Sears from what appears to be a March 13 gathering addressing federal layoffs.
In the recording, which is being used by a Democratic attack ad, Earle-Sears says “We don’t want folks to lose their jobs,” she goes on to ask the crowd if anyone there has lost a job and when some respond affirmatively she adds, “Oh, you mean it’s not unusual? It happens to everybody all the time…The media is making it out to be this huge, huge thing. And I don’t understand why.”
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Weekend Fun
Jaden Shahin & Sarha Jazz Quintet, Williamsburg Regional Library Theater. April 19, 3 p.m. Free Admission
Yorktown Market Days – Sister Cities French Market. April 19. Free. 8 a.m.– 3 p.m.
Navy to Victory Tour, April 18-April 20, Military Aviation Museum Virginia Beach.
Teeny Tiny Farm traveling petting zoo, Virginia Living Museum, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Passings
Christine Peterson, 53, April 9.
Marlene Janet Ingrao, 88, April 14.