[MurrayMatters] Public Hearing March 7

[Hashisaki]

As your Parent Council Representative, I want to share with you some  
important information about the 2007-2008 School Budget.  The School  
Board has sent it’s funding request to the Board of Supervisors.  It  
is now up to the Board of Supervisors to determine if they will fully  
fund that request, or if they will withhold some of the funds  
requested in order to generate a $0.02 tax break.  Below you will  
find a summary of the School Board Funding Request.  Please note the  
initiatives at risk of being cut from the budget if it is not fully  
funded, and the initiatives that are currently not in the School  
Board Funding Request. The Board of Supervisors will be receiving  
public comments at a hearing on March 7 at 6 PM in the Lane  
Auditorium. I am asking for as many parents as possible to attend,  
even for only a part of the evening.  The Board of Supervisors pays  
attention when a concerned group shows up in large numbers.  If I am  
the only parent from Murray, that will not send a strong message to  
the Board.  If you cannot attend the meeting, but would like to  
contact the Board, you can send an email to the Board of Supervisors  
at mailto:bos at albemarle.org.  I need your help!
Sincerely, Teresa Hashisaki









School Board Funding Request Summary
Ø     The Albemarle County School Board has sent a $151 million  
Funding Request for the 2007-08 school year to the Albemarle County  
Board of Supervisors.


Ø     The School Board’s Funding Request assumes the county property  
tax rate, which generates most local revenue, will not change. The  
Board of Supervisors recently placed $0.02 of the current tax rate in  
reserve for a possible tax break for residents or for other  
purposes.  A cut in the current tax rate will reduce School Division  
funding by slightly more than $1.9 million. Should the Board of  
Supervisors reduce the current tax rate, the School Board will make a  
proportionate reduction to its Funding Request.


Ø     The School Board and Board of Supervisors agreed during a  
recent joint meeting to remove the living wage initiative from the  
2007-08 budget development cycle.


Board of Supervisors Public Hearings
The Board of Supervisors will hold public hearings on its budget  
proposal, which includes the allocation of funding for the School  
Division.
Dates:             March 7 and April 4

Time:               6 p.m.

Location:         Lane Auditorium, Albemarle County Office Building,

401 McIntire Road in Charlottesville


School Board Budget Initiatives
The School Board moved several initiatives from an unfunded list into  
its budget proposal. The School Board believes these initiatives are  
vital for continued progress toward achievement of strategic plan  
goals. The initiatives will be reconsidered for inclusion in the  
School Board Funding Request if the current property tax rate is  
changed. The initiatives are to:
Ø     Complete a three-year plan to establish a $1 million fund for a  
computer replacement cycle. ($250,000)

Ø     Increase by $100,000 the amount of funding for development of  
Specialty Center models for middle and high schools for a total of  
$200,000

Ø     Add four math specialists to work in elementary and middle  
schools to help teachers with curriculum, lesson planning, and  
instructional techniques. ($310,596 - 4 FTE* and op.** costs)

Ø     Increase Intervention/Prevention Services staffing to place a  
literacy intervention specialist at three middle schools with student  
populations where more than 20 percent qualify for free- or reduced- 
price meals. ($31,324 - .5 FTE)

Ø     Fund an administrative intern program to enable qualified  
candidates to acquire skills to transition into a school  
administrator position in the future. ($150,293 – 2.2 FTE and op. costs)

Ø     Cover estimated utilities cost increases for water and sewer  
services, and refuse removal. ($88,080)

Ø     Increase Hispanic/Latino community outreach. ($44,662 - .5 FTE)

Ø     Increase teacher participation in the Curriculum, Assessment,  
and Instruction Institute. ($150,001)

Ø     Establish a Suspension Center to serve students who are  
suspended between four and 30 days to ensure completion of school  
work and to provide counseling. ($93,323 – 1.33 FTE and op. costs)

Ø     Increase Intervention/Prevention Services operational funds for  
school-based interventions for students performing below grade level.  
($170,730)

Ø     Fund one database administrator and three technology support  
specialists to improve delivery of technology services and computer  
support across the School Division. ($298,235 – 4 FTE)

Ø     Increase Curriculum Technology Integration Partners (CTIP)  
staff to increase instructional technology use in middle and high  
school classrooms. ($286,258 – 4.25 FTE)

Ø     Increase compensation for teachers in the T21 through T30 steps  
on the salary schedule (21 years of experience and higher) to improve  
the Division’s position in the top quartile of its competitive  
market. ($492,714)


A number of initiatives identified as important to support the School  
Division’s progress toward achieving strategic plan goals were not  
included in the School Board’s Funding Request due to a lack of  
revenue. These 14 “unfunded initiatives” total approximately $1.6  
million. Examples of the unfunded initiatives include:

Ø     Providing the STAMP on-line testing program to assess  
proficiency of students in speaking, reading and writing world  
languages ($42,000)
Ø     Staffing for non-European world languages (Mandarin Chinese,  
Arabic, etc.) to maintain existing program ( $77,685 – 1.24 FTE)
Ø     Increasing Gifted Resource Teacher (GRT) staffing to provide  
full-time positions in all schools and an additional position in all  
schools with 600 students or more ($394,570 – 5.5 FTE)
Ø     Increasing literacy specialist positions at Murray and  
Meriwether Lewis Elementary Schools to align with the level of  
service at all other elementary schools ($31,324 - .5 FTE)
Ø     Establishing a skill/certification pay option to reward  
employees for acquiring specific, specialized skills that improve  
their job-related abilities and provide increased value to the School  
Division ($125,000)


This summary is provided for your information. More details about  
budget initiatives and the School Board’s complete Funding Request  
can be viewed on-line at www.k12albemarle.org under the “School  
Board’s 2007-08 Funding Request” link.
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