Saturday, February 20, 2010
Roanoke officials decry budget
One council member said the governor's plan amounted to a war on Virginia's schoolchildren.
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From The Roanoke Times
Roanoke City Council members took aim at Gov. Bob McDonnell and the General Assembly on Friday as they sat down to contemplate deep service cuts and the potential layoff of 200 teachers in next year's budget.
Roanoke City Manager Darlene Burcham told council members that proposed state government cuts would cost the city the equivalent of a 23-cent increase in the real estate tax rate -- and that was before McDonnell proposed even deeper cuts.
Councilman David Trinkle criticized "the lack of strong leadership in Richmond" and said that with the General Assembly's refusal to consider tax increases, "the suffering's going to be much, much worse."
The council faces a $9.7 million shortfall in its fiscal 2011 budget compared with its fiscal 2010 budget. Schools face a shortfall ranging between $11.6 million and $15.6 million.
To make that money up, school officials are considering reducing their staffing to the bare minimum required by the state. That could result in layoffs of as many as 201 teachers, for a total savings of $10.1 million.
School officials are also looking at further reducing summer school programs, eliminating Spanish classes in elementary schools, consolidating athletics and maybe even closing more schools.
"Can we do this? Yes, but you will not recognize this school district next year, if it [the budget shortfall] is truly $11 [million] to $15 million," schools Superintendent Rita Bishop said.
Budget problems are being shared by localities around Virginia, but Roanoke faces extra pressure because it's a regional hub for Western Virginia and provides many health and human services that can't be found in surrounding counties.
Some 68 percent of the students in the city's school system qualify for free or reduced lunch. The state average is 29 percent.
The council's criticism of the General Assembly comes following a similar discussion during its regular meeting earlier this week.
"You can't help but wonder if this isn't a war on public education and a war on a generation of Virginia schoolchildren," said Councilwoman Gwen Mason, who unsuccessfully ran for a seat in the House of Delegates last fall. "The disdain for public education is quite real, and there's a feeling that if they starve the beast down in Richmond, it will become more efficient. And they just don't get it."
