School Board Considers FY2011 Budget Adjustments

(Tuesday) March 2, 2010

By Carla Branch and James Cullum

alexandrianews.org

Alexandria City School Board and Superintendent Sherman in session. (Photo: Regan Kireilis)

Tonight, the Alexandria School Board will hold their final work session before they adopt the fiscal year 2011 budget. Board Members have submitted additions totaling $6,091,836 and deletions of $203,500, for a net proposed increase of $5,888,336.

The Board’s budget resolution requires members who wish to add items to the budget to find deletions in the same amount. A two-thirds majority vote is required if the Board wishes to adjust the budget without finding deletions to pay for an addition. Tonight, members must vote on many additions and few deletions.

“I think everyone is just waiting to see what is going to happen with the State budget,” said Board Member Helen Morris.

Board Chair Yvonne Folkerts is concerned. “Clearly we must find a way to pay for any addition to the budget. These are difficult economic times and there isn’t enough money to pay for everything,” she said.

Those difficult economic times may get even worse based on proposed Virginia State cuts. Governor Bob McDonnell’s proposed budget would reduce Alexandria’s State funding by $2.2 million; the House of Delegates version would reduce local funding by $2.4 million and the Virginia Senate’s proposed budget would reduce Alexandria’s school funding by $100,000.

Proposed Changes

Folkert, Morris and Board Member Marc Williams proposed deleting $672,872 from the Board’s budget request to the City. This would bring the requested City appropriation to a two-percent increase, which matches the City Manager’s recommendation. They would use some of the savings from the State’s proposed Virginia Retirement System holiday to make up the difference.

Nearly every member of the Board proposed restoring elementary school reading teachers, which Superintendent Morton Sherman proposed cutting in his budget. If they add 6.5 teachers, the cost would be $489,184. Board Member Arthur Peabody would pay for this addition by reducing Central Office administration technology budget by $473,000.

In addition to restoring five elementary school reading teachers, Board Member Blanche Manness proposed adding a social worker for Stonewall Jackson’s alternative program, a primary years/middle years program coordinator at Jefferson-Houston and a halftime library media curriculum specialist. She would pay for some of these additions by reducing the Central Office curriculum services budget by $163,500 and early childhood staff development by $40,000.

Sherman has proposed some changes of his own, He would pay for his additions with $1,580,816 realized by the State’s reduction in the required VRS contribution. He would add part-time reading and world languages teachers, a full time secondary inclusion specialist, reinstitute a portion of the Principals’ Promise Fund and begin a performance recognition program for administrators. He would also reduce the employees’ contribution to VRS from his initial proposal of 1.5% of salary to 0.5%.

The meeting will be held tonight at 7:00 p.m. at School Board Headquarters on North Beauregard Street. The Board will adopt an FY2011 budget on Thursday night.

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