Schools underachieving and overfunded, says CC chairman

One Charles City supervisor says schools are overfunded and underachieving and that schools’ academic performance may put supervisors in a bind during the budgeting process.

District 2 representative and board chairman Bill Coada presented information during supervisors’ monthly meeting on Jan. 28.

The 15-minute monologue, given by Coada as an individual member of the board and not the opinions of his colleagues, presented information the representative has researched since November. Figures by the chairman pointed to Charles City schools’ poor performances on SOL (Standards of Learning) testing, despite being one of the highest funded counties when compared to school districts of similar size.

According to his research, local funding for schools has averaged an increase of $182,234 per year over a 10-year period as of 2012. Compared to other counties, Charles City’s school system is the eighth highest out of 94 counties in Virginia.

What troubled Coada the most is poor academic performance, coupled with the increase cost per pupil, that may affect the budgeting process.

“Currently, our schools are accredited with warning,” said Coada. “We are spending $1.2 million more to educate our students compared to jurisdictions of similar size.

“As I did research, the reasons given by the school board for the high cost of educating students in Charles City do not add up,” he continued, posting numbers comparing demographics of schools with a high minority enrollment, as well as special needs students.

The chairman continued speaking about former Gov. Bob McDonnell’s grading system, and a new law effective for the 2014-15 school year that has significant impact on funding if schools are accredited with warning for a third consecutive year:

“Effective with the 2014-2015 school year, any student enrolled in a school under the supervision of the [Opportunity Education] Institution shall have the per pupil funding of his school division of residence transferred to the Institution. The per pupil funding transferred shall consist of the total operational expenditures for the most recent fiscal year available, as reported by the resident division in the Annual School Report Financial Section (ASRFIN), divided by actual March 31 Average Daily Membership for the corresponding fiscal year.”

If the law is not challenged or appealed, the Opportunity Education Institution (state) may have local funding match the current years. With Coada’s argument about funding, he believes school systems must perform better and are receiving more money than they actually need.

“If this holds true, the Board of Supervisors will have to match funding from last year if the state takes over the school,” said Coada. “The school board voted last year not to include the world ‘full’ in their six-year plan when it came to accreditation, as the motion died due to the failing to be seconded.”

State law, however, allows supervisors to ask schools to disclose information pertaining to matters relevant to the operations if schools are in their third year of accreditation with warning.

For now, Coada’s earlier comment depicted his stance.

“People talk about not wanting a charter school in Charles City County, but they may well get one.”