CC supervisors send $20,000 message to school board

When Charles City’s District 1 supervisor Gilbert Smith delivered his interpretation of comments in reference to providing matching funds for a school resource officer (SRO) to chairman Floyd Miles Sr. at the July 23 regular meeting, it was apparent by Miles’ reaction that he wasn’t happy.

That demeanor immediately caused the chairman to call an immediate closed session prior to board directives. After a ten-minute private session, Miles emerged and motioned the revoking of $22,416 from county schools and returning the money to the county’s general fund.

“I have heard rumors in regards to the funding for the grant,” said Miles. “I care for the kids and I care for the school system.”

The chairman continued, saying his disposition was strictly his opinion and not on behalf of the county’s supervisors.

“But there are very few things that get me upset,” continued the chairman. “Instead of [the school system] coming out and offer $5,000 to at least try to help with the grant, they come out and say they are flat out broke and that makes me really upset.”

Miles’ rage stemmed from Smith’s report from the July 16 school board meeting. Towards the end of that meeting, school representatives discussed possibilities of how to provide matching funds for Gov. Bob McDonnell’s school resource officer grant. According to Smith’s recap, the supervisor said interim finance director David Papenfuse’s comments implicated a lack of funding for the position.

Statements made at the school board meeting focused on which entity was responsible for providing matching funds. Even though the position is being provided for the schools, the grant was written by the sheriff’s office according to dialogue exchanged between school officials. Superintendent of schools Janet Crawley commented at that meeting that when an SRO was on staff in the past, funding for the position was provided through the sheriff’s department.

After Miles’ recap and motion, supervisors voted unanimously to transfer the $22,416. That amount is the equivalent to what needs to be provided by localities before state funds for the SRO are applied. State funds would provide $27,584 to bring the total amount of the grant to $50,000. Now, that position and funding may be lost.

An eerie silence eclipsed the room as many attendees, including several school board members, were shocked. District 2 supervisor Bill Coada spoke to break the tension.

“We are not against the schools,” Coada said. “I hope the school board stops with some of the same practices they have been doing for years.”

After the conclusion of the meeting, at least one school board member approached the supervisors in reference to the decision, but left with little feedback as supervisors returned to closed session.

(At the board’s Aug. 27 meeting, the money was appropriated to the sheriff’s office to fund the resource officer.)

Charles City High School and George Watkins Elementary School were recipients of the governor’s grant that was announced on June 17.