Supervisors Hold Public Hearing on $82 Million School Budget

April 21, 2010

Some Pittsylvania County residents urged the Board of Supervisors to fully fund the proposed $82 million school budget Tuesday night, while others cited tough economic times and asked supervisors to control spending and not raise taxes.

Only a half dozen people spoke during a sparsely attended public hearing on the 2010-2011 school budget.

Kathy Buck, president of the Pittsylvania Education Association, pointed out the county ranks near the bottom in local funding for schools.

"This is not something to be proud of," said Buck, a special education teacher at Tunstall Middle School.

Buck urged supervisors to make education a priority.

"We ask that you support, to the best of your ability, quality education," she said. "Please put our students at the top of the list. They are our future and should not be shortchanged. "

Speaking on behalf of Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce, Brenda Kendrick said a foundation for a strong workforce begins with a good school system.

"The chamber, which is composed of approximately 700 businesses, realizes that money alone cannot solve all of our educational needs," said Kendrick.

"However, adequate funding for education is essential if we believe that our students deserve a well-rounded, high quality education that is supported by student performanc e and achievement."

Kendrick, co-chairman of the chamber’s education committee, said government, businesses and citizens must be willing to invest in education.

"Our students deserve the best education we can afford to give them," she said.

Former School Board chairman Robert Neals presented a statement from the Pittsylvania County Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People strongly urging supervisors to support the school budget.

"The future of Pittsylvania County depends on how successful our students are prepared to meet the 21st century challenges in the workplace and community," said Neals.

Neals pointed out its critical for the county to fund schools, especially following deep cuts in state funding, and said supervisors’ decision to withhold $600,000 from the school budget would be a "disaster for the county schools and for our children."

Not everyone spoke in favor of full school funding.

"I wonder if school personnel have forgotten we are broke," wondered Westover District resident Richard Shumate. "We don’t have any money to give away. We need to tighten our belts."

James Holmes of Chatham agreed.

"The people in Pittsylvania County are hurting," said Holmes. "Everything is thrown on taxpayers’ backs. Yes, we want the best education for our children, but let’s concentrate on the basics and cut the fat out."

Joe Spence of Ringgold also believes the school system has go tten "fat" at the expense of taxpayers.

"The taxpayers are overtaxed now," he said. "The county needs to work on cutting the school budget."

After the public hearing, supervisors voted 7-0 to restore $600,000 stripped from the school budget earlier this month.

Supervisors promised the additional money for instruction, but withheld it from the advertised budget over concerns about schools eliminating funding for after-school use of gyms and athletic fields by youth sports teams.

Schools, which estimated the cost at $125,000 a year, said youth sports and community groups will be allowed to use the facilities, but may have to pay a fee beginning July 1.

Under the proposed budget, schools will receive $44.5 million from the state, down sharply from $52 million a year ago.

Local funding for schools will increase from $13.3 million last year to $14.1 million this year.

The school budget must be approved by May 1.

A public hearing on the county budget will be held May 3. It doesn’t go into effect until July 1.

Supervisors, however, have already promised not to raise taxes.