NK school officials finding adjusted figures hard to digest

New Kent School Board members began taking precautions in preparation for receiving a final budget from county supervisors.

At their Monday work session, school board representatives listened to recommendations from director of finances Ralph Westbay on the FY2013-14 school year budget. Expressions on board members’ faces resembled that of a group of people trying to swallow a bad meal.

New Kent schools’ projected budget is just over $28 million for the upcoming year, but what school officials have penciled in for the county’s contribution is $647,702 short of county administrator Rodney Hathaway’s $12.4 million recommendation for local school funds.

Westbay presented a possible way to balance the schools’ budget if supervisors adopted the county budget as presented, rendering $27,364,244 in funds to schools.

Westbay’s revamped county numbers show four teaching positions unfunded, as well as one computer technician. Cutbacks in supplies and equipment replacement are also included.

Inability to adopt science textbooks didn’t sit well with superintendent of schools Rick Richardson, who didn’t hold back about the $162,314 it would take to cover all grade levels.

“You want to talk about penalizing our teachers and students, try to come up with a budget with no [funding for] textbooks,” he said. “We are so out of date that we can’t afford new textbooks for the new Standards of Learning tests.”

Current science textbooks are eight years old, according to director of curriculum and instruction Nate Collins. Advanced courses could suffer negative impact and could be lost due to cuts, he said.

“For each section we don’t offer, that squeezes 20-25 more students in one classroom,” he said. “Try telling a parent that their child can’t take an advanced class because of teacher cuts.”

Collins specifically noted the mathematics department, pointing out dual enrollment courses taught by high school teachers that offer college credit.

“It’s not a luxury. It’s a necessity that we’d lose,” he concluded.

Westbay chimed in that even with the county administrator’s proposed budget, the $27 million figure may not be realistic.

“Even the $700,000 that they gave us in addition isn’t guaranteed,” he said. “They are advertising a four-cent [tax increase], but they may not raise it that much.”

Half of the proposed four-cent tax increase is designated for renovations to the Historic School. That school’s construction and remodeling is in preparation to accommodate elementary school students due to increasing enrollment.

School board chairwoman Leigh Quick said she believes supervisors don’t fully understand the seriousness of a potential shortfall.

“I didn’t see much support remotely,” she said in regard to the supervisors’ work session on April 16. “I don’t get the impression that the board is looking at us and saying ‘they’re taking such a big hit.’ I didn’t hear that from any of them.”