Monday, March 22, 2010

Supervisors Pull Budget Bait and Switch

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Earlier this year I wrote about the Board of Supervisors, business community, Loudoun's state legislators and the School Board working together to restore proposed state funding cuts to Loudoun's education budget. We worked together and were successful. Where the School Board conformed to the Supervisor's October directive to ask for a $25M budget increase (actually a per-pupil decrease), the state more than made up for it with a $25.4 million funding increase and a $20M reduction in required retirement contributions.

You might think that the increase in state education aid would prompt the School Board to increase its budget request even further, but we had pledged not to do that if this situation arose. We pledged to work within the original limits we proposed and return the rest to the taxpayers. Instead the Supervisors have gone even further, cutting the school budget below last year's level. The Board of Supervisors voted to take away the state aid, and then cut the school budget even more deeply. They have nullified the state's budget increase, and then cut even more deeply than that.

Supervisors Cut $30M from School Budget (Leesburg Today)
Supervisors Vote Against Raises for School Employees (Loudoun Times Mirror)
Supervisors Cut Money Earmarked for Teacher Raises (Loudoun Independent)

Why is being next to last in per-pupil funding not enough? Why is being next to last in teacher salaries not enough? Why is having some of the largest class sizes in the state not enough? Why was proposing a budget within the limits that the Supervisors provided not enough? Why was joining together to fight for more state funding not enough?

The School Board cut per-pupil spending, offset increases with cuts and stayed within the limits the Supervisors laid down. We fought for more funding from the state but didn't ask to keep any of it for the schools beyond our original request.

The Supervisors have one more budget work session, tonight at 6:30pm. Consider what the School Board may need to cut to meet this proposed budget. And tell the Board of Supervisors what you think of this bait and switch today, before it is too late.
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12 comments:

  1. Just fire Hatrick and restore some amount of trust between LCPS and the public. Times are tough for everyone. And quit with all the comparisons to jurisdictions to the east of us (further towards DC). Compare Loudoun to all surrounding counties and you're not doing so bad.
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  2. LI--once the cost of living in the jurisdictions to the west of us is equal to Loudoun's, then compare away. But until then we have to go east. That is a fair comparison.
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  3. Fauquier has a pretty similar standard of living. And a 76.5 cent tax rate! We are an outlying exurb, not adjacent to DC.
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  4. I am not at all pleased with what Hatrick offered up to be on the chopping block for option 1. Teachers and staff members who have DIRECT contact with students EVERY DAY should not be losing their jobs before Central Office personnel.
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  5. Hatrick is a great administrator! He threatens to cut things that are important to most people, by preserving other things that could be cut. All in an attempt to rile up the taxpayer. I agree with LI! Let's get rid of Hatrick.
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  6. Hatrick is the master of the 'bait and switch' not the Supervisors! Once again he is attempting to rally the 'save Loudoun Schools' mob by feeding them misinformation and scare mongering them into action by threatening to do away with sports and programs in the schools that they value. Then the tax rate rises accordingly to accommodate him and he imposes fees anyway! If he was any sort of leader, he'd care deeply for the school community and lead by example, trim the fat from his operating budget and show that he can make things work even in tough times! That's what businesses are doing all over the country right now - why should LCPS be any different. Hopefully, we are an intelligent and educated enough community to see through his cheap tricks.
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  7. Hatrick blames the LC BOS and gets all the parents riled up. We all write letters only to find out that Hatrick doesn't know how to spend money properly in tough economic times, and is planning to buy computer equipment instead keeping needed teachers! This is insane!! While I agree, it would be awesome if teachers could get a raise, I do agree that if no other county employee is getting a raise they should not either. I have absolutely NO FAITH in what Dr. Hatrick is telling us is truthful. Perhaps a changing of the guards is warranted - and the planning staff can go too.
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  8. Looking through those proposed cuts makes it abundantly clear where Dr. Hatrick's priorities lie ... clearly within the plush confines of 21000 Education Court.

    He clearly doesn't care about the teachers, the support staff and certainly not the children.

    How about some real cuts to the bureaucracy? And don't point to a bunch of proposed IT positions.

    This would be laughable if you weren't messing with our kids.
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  9. I sincerely hope that THIS time the school board does something before Dr. H can cut the jobs of some of the most important people within the schools- such as reading teachers. I can do with out Spanish in elementary school and expensive equipment,(we didn't have those things when we were all kids and all managed to get through ok.)It is time he retires and take some of his cronies with him.(adamo) Enough is enough.we DON'T need an extra $20 million for computers and other tech equipment. We NEED teachers or the equipment is useless.
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  10. Sounds to me like the School Board is trying to keep a slush fund. They had $20 million taken back by the BoS that they saved last year. And this year they are trying to get another $20 million and can't tell anyone where that money is targeted.

    The School Board obviously spent less than their budget last year, why can't they do it again this year?

    John - can you tell us what the player fees for sports pays for? Also, do all the other extracurricular activities have fees as well? Like band, debate team, etc.
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  11. I am tired of hearing people say, "We didn't have computers when we went through school and did just fine..." Do you really believe that the world is the same as when you went to school? I know it is not for me! If we want our children to have a competitive edge in this world, they need to know technology.

    You didn't have cell phones, email, the internet years ago. Do you refrain from using it simply because you didn't need it years ago? NO! Because we do need the new technologies in our lives now. Stop comparing apples and oranges when it comes to our childrens' education.
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  12. no we don't need computers when WE ALREADY HAVE THEM!!!!! There is nothing wrong with the ones we have! To say we need "better" ones when we have no money to support them is just stupid. And besides a computer is a machine, someone has to teach the kids. To hear some people talk maybe we should rid ourselves of all teachers and just have computers do the teaching.
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