Return to School e-mail archive directory
School Issues Newsletter #69: Hearing, budget, buildings
Date: 04/05/2001 1:06:27 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: jklagge@bev.net
To: jklagge@vt.edu
Dear Friends,
As you may know by now, the school board will hold a public hearing on two proposed policies relevant to the mascot issue. The policies can be viewed at: . The first policy would eliminate the Indian mascot at BHS. The second, which I proposed as a sort of middle ground, would retain the name of BHS Indians, but eliminate all associated imagery. The school board will not necessarily endorse either policy, but it is likely that we will approve one of them--probably the first. But the point of having a public hearing is to give people a last chance to address the issues that most concern the board. To that end, following the statement of the policies, we have listed two questions that people might focus on. As is clear by now, the board will not be deciding this issue based on which side has the most supporters, but on which reasons seem most compelling. The questions may help focus comments on these most relevant issues. Although (in previous newsletters) I have shared some reasons why I think it would be best to change the mascot, I plan to support the BHS task force recommendation to retain the Indian mascot. (To access an archive of my previous newsletters, maintained by Mike Ewing, go to: www.gisone.com/schools.htm) Thus I would vote against the first policy, but in favor of the second. Since many task force members originally seemed unenthused about undertaking that process without some indication of what impact it might have on the board, I committed myself to vote to support whatever recommendation the task force made if I thought that they did a good job of educating and engaging studentds and the community in discussion. So my vote would be a vote for the process, rather than an endorsement of the mascot. The hearing will be held in BHS auditorium at 7:30pm on Tuesday, April 10th. Speakers will be limited to 3 minutes each.
Each year the school board formulates a budget request for the board of supervisors. This can be viewed as a series of slides at . In conjunction with other requests, the county administrator, Jeff Johnson, then formulates an over-all county budget recommendation. (The total amount of the proposed county budget is $101 million. The proposed real estate tax rate is 78 cents per $100 of assessed value. This can be viewed at: .) The BoS sets a maximum tax increase that they will consider that year (generally in accord with that recommendation), and then they have hearings and meetings which eventually lead to choosing a new tax rate and an associated balanced budget. This year they are considering a maximum tax increase of 10 cents. Even if this maximum is approved, which it sometimes is not, it would not suffice to fully fund our budget request. Upcoming BoS meetings relevant to the budget are:
-- April 9 Board of Supervisors, 7:15 p.m., County Courthouse
-- April 11 Budget Work Session, 7:15 p.m., County Courthouse
-- April 23 Board of Supervisors, 7:15 p.m., County Courthouse
You can speak at public address during their regular meetings (4/9 & 4/23). Or you can contact the supervisors as follows:
Montgomery County Board of Supervisors
-Dist. A: Annette S. Perkins
1407 Valley View Dr., Blacksburg, 24060
Home 552-4706
aperkins@naxs.net
-Dist. B: Larry A (Nick) Rush, Vice-chair
231 Lester St.,
Christiansburg, 24073
Home 381-2174
Office 382-7505
nrush@naxs.com
-Dist. C: Joe C. Stewart
POB 275, 8919 Roanoke St., Elliston, 24087
Home 268-2303
Office 382-2291
(Thursdays only)
vswinney@naxs.com
-Dist. D: James D. Politis
5629 Brush Creek Rd.,
Riner, 24149
Home 381-2778
Office 381-9764
bcbuffalo@aol.com
-Dist. E: C. P. (Chuck) Shorter
4595 Long Shop Rd.,
Blacksburg, 24060
Home 552-2040
Office 231-5777
cpshorter@naxs.net
-Dist. F: Mary W. Biggs, Chair
701 Hutchenson Dr.,
Blacksburg, 24060
Home 951-2906
Office 951-5732
mbiggs@naxs.com
-Dist. G: John A. Muffo
227 Craig Dr.
Blacksburg, 24060
Home 953-0563
Office 231-6003
muffo@vt.edu
-County Administrator :
Jeffrey D. Johnson
382-6954
jdjohnson@naxs.com
The main new initiative that the school board included in this year's budget request was a plan to bring Montgomery County teachers salary up to the 60th percentile in comparison to the 10 districts that surround us, and in comparison to the 10 districts around the state that are similar to us in size and economic base. Though direct comparisons are complicated, because of varying salary scales, etc., we projected that if the comparison districts maintained yearly raises that averaged the same raises they've had over the past few years, we would need raises of about 7% per year for three years to move us up to the 60th percentile (i.e., rank 4 in a list of 10). We came up with this plan at the request of the BoS, who wanted to see a long-term plan and rationale for salary increases. The rationale is that 60th percentile shoots to do better than average compared to comparable districts. Locally this would move us up, but still leave us behind Salem, Roanoke City, and Roanoke County. Statewide it would move us past Albemarle County (home of UVA). VT strives to be in the 60th percentile relative to comparable universities.
Unfortunately, even though having such a plan was at the request of the BoS, their proposed budget does not provide full funding for even the first year of this. (And they won't necessarily endorse even this proposed budget, depending on what tax rate they opt for.) Their proposed budget does suggest that it would afford a 5% raise (but only for teachers, not other personnel). Though the school board does have a special concern about teachers, we have not in the past been willing to leave other personnel behind. As everyone knows it is hard to hire good workers at all levels--and since virtually ALL of our employees have direct contact with students at some point in the day, it has seemed important to be sure we have the best people we can get. This has also been the motivation behind our on-going attempt to set aside enough money for benefits for part-time people (mainly bus drivers and classroom aides).
So even thought the current budget situation will leave us short of what we would like to do, it is still important that the county budget not be cut further (which sometimes happens). So I encourage you to express your views to the supervisors--soon.
You may have seen that we had the ground-breaking for the new CMS. So now BMS and CMS are underway. You can see updates on these projects, including photos, at:
. Over the years people have been concerned about what will happen evetually with the vacated buildings. The SB began discussion of this at our board retreat in March. We have endorsed the idea of a process that will evaluate facilities and needs over the next several years that will have ample opportunity for public input. I will try to keep you posted on this as it proceeds.
As always, if you would prefer not to receive these newsletters, or would like to add the address of a friend, please let me know. Also, as always, the views expressed in this newsletter are mine, not necessarily those of other board members. Thanks for your interest in public education,
Jim Klagge
Montgomery County School Board
District F representative.
Return to School e-mail archive directory
© Copyright 2004 by Graphic Information Sciences
All rights reserved worldwide.
email: admin@gisone.com