Comments from Brian Wheeler to

Albemarle County School Board on 2000-2001 Budget

February 2, 2000

My name is Brian Wheeler.  I am the parent of a second grader at Murray Elementary and the editor of a new Internet newsletter focused on improved communications about our public schools. I encourage the public to visit the website at http://www.albemarlematters.com to subscribe.

First let me say I agree with Dr. Castner's top priority of raising teacher salaries. It does not go far enough to make Albemarle competitive, but it is a step in the right direction.  

Second, I think in other ways the budget proposals are seriously flawed because they do not make a compelling needs-based request for consideration by the Board of Supervisors. Millions of dollars of important programs are labeled "unfunded" and presented in second and third tiers prime for cutting by those of you who maintain the, misguided I think, belief that we can continue preparing budgets that come close to current revenues.

What IS compelling is Dr. Castner's observation that growth has finally caught up with us in Albemarle County.  It appears to me, even as a new parent, that growth and inflation have been inflicting their toll on our schools for many years. The difference between a budget that addresses our true needs and the one that aims to stick within expected revenues is measured in millions of dollars.  Your leadership and cooperation with the Board of Supervisors is required to close this funding gap.

Specifically, I think you need to give a priority to the literacy and staffing proposals in the budget that total over $3 million in unfunded requests. In my mind the Board of Supervisors should be challenged to fund growth. YOU should be recommending funding to make the schools we have better for the students already here, not just maintain them at their existing levels to accommodate new students.  We have serious problems now that need remediation.

One of those problems that impacts my daughter is large class sizes.  She has a class of 27 students in second grade.  Your application of differentiated funding is a rob Peter to pay Paul approach that results in numerous elementary and middle schools with small free and reduced lunch populations ending up with larger classes on average than our high schools.  Dr. Castner says we can't leave students with special needs behind and we are under pressure to get them to pass the SOLs and not drop out.  At the same time, by applying differentiated funding against the base budget pie, schools like Murray Elementary are chronically short of resources.  You seem to be saying you expect our school to do better on the SOLs and thus WE can get by with larger classes.  I disagree with that philosophy and believe it will have a backlash on the scores of students you expect to do so well.

[Note: I skipped this next paragraph to save time during my testimony] 
One thing that would help mitigate the impact of differentiated funding would be to adopt my "Class Size Emergency Relief" proposal at schools with class sizes over 25 children.  I have previously shared this idea with each of you and I hope you will give that consideration in this budget.

Dr. Castner once told me if I kept my daughter in Albemarle Schools that by the time she graduated he promised her SAT scores would be better than if she had gone to private schools.  I am finding that promise harder to believe when this budget crisis is casting such a large shadow over our County.

The fact that you think you have to choose between salaries, growth and new staffing indicates to me how ridiculous it is to think we can stick to a budget near expected revenues.  We need all of these things and as a tax payer, I am prepared to pay additional taxes to support excellent schools.  Thank you.