School Funding Request Denied (VA)

September 9, 2010

The Board of Supervisors Wednesday denied a request by the School Board to reinstate almost $4.6 million to the school system’s budget to restore two planned school closing days Thanksgiving week. The money would have come from fund balance from previous budget years.

During its reconciliation process for the FY11 budget, the School Board voted to close school for two additional days, which would serve as furlough days for teachers. The reduction in pay is being parsed out in paychecks throughout the year. Students also will lose two days of instruction.

Vice Chairman Susan Klimek Buckley (D-Sugarland Run) made a motion to approve the funding request, but only gained support from Supervisors Stevens Miller(D-Dulles) and Andrea McGimsey (D-Potomac). Supervisor Kelly Burk (D-Leesburg) recused herself from the discussion because she is a teacher in Loudoun County Public Schools who could benefit from two days of extra pay, but before leaving the dais attempted to make a plea for supervisors to support the request before being cut off by Chairman Scott K. York (I-At Large).

The friction between the School Board and the Board of Supervisors over funding of the schools budget has existed for years, but the request also divided supervisors, with those in favor of allocating the money saying the government should recognize the ability of the school system to save money each year by granting the request.

"We are often told that there seems to be no incentive from us to the school system to save money because we just take it back anyway," Miller said.

McGimsey and Buckley said they saw it as a fundamental issue, where the county could afford to avoid the cuts to teacher pay made by the School Board.

"This is about education. This issue is about our teachers," Buckley said.

But those who voted against the action said the School Board should have to stand by its decision of last spring, just as supervisors have to stand by their decision to eliminate positions and lay people off.

"If we grant this money I believe it is unfair to those county employees who lost their jobs because the county made a tough decision to abide b y its budget," Supervisor Jim Burton (I-Blue Ridge), although he commended the school system for being able to come in under budget each year.

One concern that has been raised about the request is the difficulty that would be created by adding the two days back to Thanksgiving week, which is only a short time away. Several members of the public and supervisors have noted that vacation plans by both students and teachers have already been made with the two additional days in mind. Even Miller acknowledged it was likely that substitutes would have to be brought in to cover classes for teachers who already have plans to be away during that time. That would be an additional expense for the school system.

While noting that potential problem, Supervisor Lori Waters (R-Broad Run) also objected to a message that had been sent out to all members of the Loudoun Education Association, calling on them to "politely decline" when asked to do things above and beyond their basic teaching responsibilities,including spending time after school and before-school duties.

"I am concerned about this approach and attitude taken to make a political point when it is clearly going to impact students even more and families even more," Waters said. "They’re saying only do the bare minimum. Is that the approach that we want people to take in their job? In any job?"

Waters said she would be interested in having a policy discussion about the schools budget, but could not support the supplemental funding request and would not be influenced by "political grandstanding."