FY2011 Financial Plan

We have great students and great employees who deserve the best support available, even in a bad economy. On Jan. 26, I presented the Superintendent’s Proposed FY 2011 Financial Plan. The plan was the result of recommendations from the Superintendent’s Budget Advisory Committee, which included business, parent, teacher and county representatives.

Over the past month, we have received comments and recommendations from the Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors/School Board Budget Advisory Committee, school officials, teachers, parents and citizens. We have carefully considered all input and tonight I propose a revised plan that minimizes the impact of cuts on our students and on our employees.

In a difficult economy, the school division will endure its fair share of pain. However, I do not believe that cuts of $40-50 million, in addition to approximately $40 million in cuts and changes to the current budget, are fair or in the best interest of our children or community. Therefore, I am still presenting an FY 2011 operating budget that makes $26 million in cuts.

Changes in this revised proposal are aimed at

• lessening the financial burden placed on employees
• decreasing the number of positions eliminated

This proposal helps accomplish those goals by

• delaying some capital projects to lower the amount paid toward debt service
• reducing non-school division personnel costs such as grounds maintenance and reducing travel expenditures
• consolidating services through efficient use of space and resources
• increasing revenue through higher fees

There remains a need for additional funding, as the proposal’s expenditures still exceed the revenue projected to be available. We continue to seek additional resources from Chesterfield County and the Virginia General Assembly. We appreciate the commitment to public education demonstrated by our local and state government and remain hopeful that they will continue to provide adequate resources for public education as required by the Constitution of Virginia.

While these revisions save 105 jobs from the Jan. 26 proposal, we still must eliminate 200 positions (in addition to the approximately 250 positions eliminated in the FY 2010 budget). Our workforce, with growing demands, will be asked to work with fewer resources and for less pay.

We have worked hard to get where we are today. Now, we are at a crossroads. Do we want to seek continuous improvement, increased student achievement and a school division that benefits everyone in the community or will our community accept a cookie-cutter school division that offers much less for children? The choice is clear.