NK School Board makes final plea for additional money

Facing a $700,000 deficit in projected local revenue, New Kent School Board members made one last attempt to justify the shortfall to New Kent supervisors.

Both boards convened Wednesday morning in efforts to understand needs for county schools. School board chairwoman Leigh Quick presented a four-page document highlighting those specific needs.

“The impacts of the reduction will effect student-teacher ratio,” Quick told supervisors. “We have worked hard and these would be the items we cut if we can not receive additional funds.”

Four new teaching positions resulting from growth or restoration are among cuts if the school board works with the $27.4 million dollar budget as proposed by county administrator Rodney Hathaway. New teaching posts in kindergarten, health and physical education, secondary math, and special education make up the casualties.

Other reductions include losses of a computer technician, hours for substitute teachers, and funds for science textbook adoption. Schools also lost $250,000 in special education funds, according to superintendent of schools Rick Richardson.

District 2 school board representative Dean Simmons pointed to neighboring jurisdictions decreasing enrollment in regards to handling financial obligations.

“Surrounding schools were late to react to their budgets,” he commented. “Here in New Kent, enrollment is increasing and we’ve been preparing for that.”

While Quick said the list of needs weren’t in priority order, she said mandates handed down from the state level are the primary focus.

Board of Supervisors chairman Ray Davis addressed the issue on funding for schools by pointing to the proposed tax increase.

“You’re basically getting two-thirds of the tax revenue,” Davis said, emphasizing that $700,000 of the projected $1.2 million is going to the schools.

“We’d have to raise the tax rate by seven cents for what you all budgeted,” the chairman continued. “I don’t think anybody on this side of the board wants that.”

“Legally, we don’t want you to be blindsided,” countered Quick. “We just don’t want you to be surprised when a parent asks ‘Why is my child in a class of 35?’”

District 3 supervisor James Burrell worried about education curriculum falling behind due to out-of-date textbooks.

“Science and math is what concerns me,” he said. “We are 17th in the world [in regards to rank.]”

“It’s difficult to find math teachers as well,” commented school board member Gail Hardinge. “And it’s not going to go away anytime soon.”

School board members and the superintendent understood from previous budget meetings that cuts are imminent.

“We knew we would have to partner together,” added Hardinge. “It’s going to be tight.”