YCSD School Board Notes - March 2014

I am writing regarding a $2 million budget gap. The gap between the amount the School Board has requested as a County contribution to the operating budget and what the County Administrator has proposed is $2,091,675.  

You can learn more about the impact of the budget gap on our students by attending a #FullyFundYCSD Budget Presentation. Following the presentation, participants will have the opportunity to ask questions. These events are scheduled as follows:

• Tuesday, April 1, 7:00 p.m., Grafton High School Kiva
• Thursday, April 3, 7:00 p.m., Bruton High School Kiva

At our meeting last night, the School Board approved its proposed operating budget for the school division for the fiscal year that starts on July 1. The County Administrator proposed a 3% salary increase for county employees, which does not include school division staff. If our schools only receive the amount recommended by the County Administrator, the division would be unable to give the equivalent of a 3% raise and meet its most urgent needs.

Some of the most urgent needs of the division have been identified in this YCSD FY15 Budget .. by the numbers.  Additional details, including the FY15 School Board Proposed Budget, are available on the FY15 budget page of the division website.

Last Thursday we asked the Board of Supervisors to hold a Joint Work Session with the School Board in early April. Our understanding is that the preference of the Board of Supervisors is for the Chairs and Vice-Chairs of the two Boards to meet with County Administrator and the Superintendent. We hope that the Board of Supervisors will agree to a televised Joint Work Session in addition to or instead of the possible meeting of Board officers and staff members. The School Board expressed an interest in holding a joint work session in late 2013, but it was not held. A joint work session was held on February 4, but the Board of Supervisors were not available for more than 55 minutes. We believe that maintaining the quality of our schools is an important enough priority to justify another public Joint Work Session.

Yesterday, the General Assembly convened a Special Session regarding the budget. The Governor proposed a 2% salary increase for K-12 teachers and support personnel, although we have not received the details of this proposal. If state money is provided to help support a salary increase, it would assist us in addressing both compensation and our most urgent other needs.

I strongly encourage you to provide members of the Board of Supervisors, our state legislators, and our School Board members with input regarding funding for our schools. Contact information for each of these three groups is available here. If you email members of our Board of Supervisors or the state legislature, you are welcome to copy me at mmedford@ycsd.york.va.us.

You are also encouraged to provide input at the following meetings:

• 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, 4/24: Board of Supervisors, public hearing on the budget, York Hall; and
• 7:00 p.m., Monday, 4/28, School Board Meeting with Public Comment Period, York Hall.

Thank you for your support of our students, schools, and school division.

Mark Medford
School Board Chair
On Behalf of the York County School Board