Albemarle to stick with needs-based schools budget plan

The Albemarle County School Board on Thursday reached consensus to present the county Board of Supervisors with a needs-based funding request, rather than one balanced to projected revenues.

That means the board will request funding that exceeds its $146.8 million in projected revenue for next fiscal year. Schools Superintendent Pam Moran requested $151.7 million in her funding request, presented to the School Board on Jan. 19.

School Board member Diantha McKeel said cutting the budget at this point could wind up hurting county schools.

“I support sending a needs-based budget,” she said. “About two years ago, we cut $6 million from the budget before we sent it to the Board of Supervisors, and it was a real mistake.”

After the cuts were made, board member Eric Strucko said, the schools found they had more revenue than expected, but could not alter their funding request.

“I personally regret some decisions we made during that time … And I don’t want to be in that situation again,” he said.

The needs-based funding request presented by Moran shows a $4.9 million gap between projected revenues and projected spending. The gap dovetails with revenues that have fallen steadily since 2008.

Assistant Superintendent Billy Haun told the board that in that time, funding for staff development, including teacher conferences and teacher coaching, has dropped from $382,056 to $249,414.

Part of the effect of that drop, Haun said, is a reduction in the number of teachers who are getting reimbursed for going to conferences. Until last year, he said, teachers were reimbursed for expenses incurred in going to conferences.

“A lot of teachers that are going to conferences are paying for it out of pocket,” he said. “Last year was the first time we did not reimburse teachers for course development, for conferences.”

Strucko questioned a staff assertion that teacher coaching is the most effective way to increase teacher quality and student success. Strucko argued that lowering teacher workloads could have a similar effect.

“The teachers say the coaches have an impact, but they don’t know the degree of impact. There’s varying responses to that question,” he said. “We’re still hearing from specific teachers, and I don’t know how representative this sample is … That the effectiveness is not meeting its full potential yet.”

County schools Executive Director Matt Haas told the board that even if the teacher-coaching positions were reduced, there wouldn’t necessarily be an effect on teacher workloads.

“The coaching positions are not teaching positions, they were not taken out of the classroom to create this function. If a coach were to disappear, it wouldn’t necessarily take up some of the slack in terms of the workload,” Haas said.

There will be a public hearing on the schools funding request Feb. 2. The board expects to finalize its budget Feb. 9.

Key dates

Upcoming meetings related to next year’s budget for Albemarle County Public Schools:

Tuesday: Work session at the Albemarle County Office Building, Room 241.

Feb. 2: Public hearing, ACOB, Lane Auditorium.

Feb. 9: Budget adoption by School Board, ACOB, Lane Auditorium.

Feb. 11: Budget work session (if needed), ACOB, Room 241.

March 13: Board of Supervisors work session on schools budget, ACOB, Room 241

April 4: Final county budget adoption, ACOB, Lane Auditorium.