In what one supervisor called “the biggest crowd” he’s seen for a budget public hearing, dozens packed the General District Courtroom at Nelson County Courthouse last week to support level funding for Nelson County Public Schools for 2018-19.
Among the speakers was Superintendent Jeff Comer, who told the board of supervisors last Thursday a proposed $1 million cut to the division’s funding request will jeopardize a planned employee salary increase for the next school year.
“Our staff is under pressure,” said Comer, who is stepping down from his post next month. “It’s not easy to work in any job in the school system. They have tough jobs and it’s demoralizing knowing next year your paycheck is not going to increase, and it’s sad leaving Nelson County knowing that.”
At the school board meeting earlier on Thursday, Assistant Superintendent for Administration Shannon Irvin said the division would not be able to afford the pay increases with the proposed cut in local funding. Irvin also spoke during public comments and answered questions from the board of supervisors following the public hearing. Earlier this year, the school board proposed a 2 percent cost-of-living pay raise and increases for eligible employees on the step pay scale, which counts one step as one year of experience. School officials said the proposed one-step increase would provide half of teachers an increase in salary. Irvin said the 2 percent pay raise would cost about $366,000.
Nelson County High School teacher Tom Allen was among four teachers who spoke during public comments. Allen said he and his wife have taught at the school division for six years. Currently teachers in the school division do not get a raise in their first 10 years of teaching at the school district. Next year will be Allen’s 10th year teaching, but the current budget doesn’t account for a pay raise for him.
“We have lost and we will continue to lose quality teachers because of this,” Allen said.
Kim Candler, principal at Rockfish River Elementary School, said she challenges board members to visit the school to see why teachers deserve a raise. She said they are facing challenges with students they haven’t seen before.
Nelson Middle School teacher Safia Elliott said next school year will be her 10th teaching in the division. Elliott said she teaches every day, tutors after school, offers homebound services and will teach during summer school.
“And even with all of those things in place, I am struggling,” Elliott said. “So I would like you to keep that in mind.”
Elliott said she appreciates the county offering to pay for the roughly $200,000 proposal to hire three additional school resource officers, bringing the school division’s total up to four SROs for four schools.
The county has proposed to pay for those positions, which will be Nelson County Sheriff’s Office employees. Still, though, Elliott said the school division needs to hire a behavior intervention analyst to meet the division’s growing needs in its special-needs population.
Irvin said the division isn’t budgeting to hire a behavior intervention analyst next year due to the proposed cut in local funding.
Jennifer Sherwood, an Arrington resident and parent of a 5-year-old child with special needs, said parents rely heavily on the school system to provide support.
“Visit your local special-education classroom and see for yourself how much our school system would benefit from this staff position,” Sherwood said.
Sherwood said she plans on having her son attend therapy in Charlottesville. It’s an hour drive one-way after school, Sherwood said, adding the in-school position would train other staff and would “bring our students home and keep them home.”
Sandra Irby, the school division’s director of special education and student services, said the position would create plans and train special education staff to implement those plans. The person would need a master’s or doctorate degree.
“I’d like all teachers to collaborate with [the behavior intervention analyst], but that would be several years out,” Irby said.
Irby said four members of the Nelson County Special Education Advisory committee attended the public hearing to show support for the behavior intervention analyst position.
Supervisor Chairman Thomas Bruguiere Jr. said following the public hearing that the county has to “live within our means,” because revenues are declining, but the board would take time to discuss the input from the hearing.
“We are gonna go back and look at this a little bit harder, taking into consideration your thoughts,” said Bruguiere, who has been on the board of supervisors for 19 years. “Maybe we can do something; it’s something we certainly have to look at. Since I’ve been here, this is the biggest crowd we’ve had for a budget public hearing.”
Supervisor Tommy Harvey said he appreciates the work school employees do.
“I know we have invites to visit the classroom,” Harvey said. “I couldn’t handle the job. The raise or no raise has nothing to do with what we feel the value of you is. I just want you to leave here knowing, we appreciate you.”
Supervisor Larry Saunders said while the division may need a behavior intervention analyst, there’s “someone else you don’t need.”
“There’s got to be some ways to cut the cost and still have a good school system,” Saunders said.
Bruguiere said the board will meet again at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 29 in a conference room at the Nelson County Courthouse.
County Administrator Steve Carter said the board should finalize the proposed budget for fiscal year 2018-19 by June 30.