School budget cuts include all MS and HS athletics elimination and an elementary school closure
Tony Brads delivered bad news to Botetourt County's School Board.
Middle and high school athletics face elimination in Botetourt schools as they present an $800,000 savings in the School Budget. As well, school administrators introduced as an “and/ or” the closure of one elementary school. Students would be funneled to other schools and about 2/3rds of the teachers to the other schools.
In Botetourt County, Thursday March 22 was a bad day for the FY 13 Botetourt School Division budget committee. Deep cuts have to be made to balance the budget.
The news for the past two days in Botetourt has been bad news on the FY 13 budget as the Board of Supervisors Committee received it as well. With the last minute addition of a 5 % pay increase to offset 5% VRS contributions on March 12 as they adjourned, ( (Senate Bill 497)the General Assembly added another $600,000 in the red ink bringing the total budget deficit to 3.6 million in Botetourt County. For the schools the deficit is now $1.254 million after making called for reductions by the county last week to the tune of an additional $1 million. The deficit was reduced to $889, 732.
The School Division budget funding is the largest part of the Botetourt County budget. It is purely funded by outside sources like the Commonwealth of Virginia and Botetourt County as a locality. Funding at almost 50%-48 % for state and local funds and some small funds from the Federal level. Several School and County Associations have sent Gov. Bob McDonnell a letter asking for the amendment to the Senate Bill 497 requiring the 5% raise to offset the 5 % VRS contribution needed by employees in an already difficult budget year. Yet, the state issued mandates to the tune of $2.5 million. Botetourt County Schools employs 750 personnel making it the largest employer in Botetourt County. As Brads said, “People are a major part of our service.”
The cuts in the past week included eight education funds positions, suspend the CIP activity on the LBHS roof, suspend bus replacement cycle. But that still left the school division $889,732.00 in the red. With the budget clock ticking toward April 1, when the budget must be sent to the Supervisors, the whittling process begins to go past the bone. Ruth Wallace Chairman said, “What a shame we have come to this point.”
School board members were shocked and for Kathy Sullivan it seemed a nightmare, commenting, “We have 7 community elementary schools. Which one is no longer a community school? ” and, “We have athletes who get so much out of our programs. It just makes me sick.” Almost 1,600 students play sports on the two secondary levels. None of the school board members were in favor of cutting instruction and salaries of teachers and staff. But here are the results for potential consideration. Michael Beahm stated, “We have no choice as this is another thing sent from the state level back to the local level. This will impact the students of Botetourt County.” Scott Swortzel was not sure he wanted a line by line budget scrutiny in a public meeting as the average person would not understand the budget and comment on small items rather than the budget as a whole. But all agreed some thing must be said.
Here are the considered cuts:
Salary reductions
Staff reductions
Elimination of Instructional programs: Items mentioned were Governor’s School Art, Music and and or PE on the elementary level, remove classes that are beyond core classes and return them to core levels, class size enlargement, CTE classes to name a few.
Elimination of the retirement service plan
Elimination of Middle School Athletics
Elimination of High School Athletics
Institute “pay for play” policy to create a new revenue for athletics
School Closure on the elementary level
On Tuesday night March 27 at 6 p.m in the LBHS auditorium, the Board of Supervisors is taking input on the problematic FY 13 budget.
John Alderson of Fincastle District took the bold step to say he would prefer athletics eliminated rather than the school. “Really we have an opportunity on Tuesday night to tell our story of years of reductions. Inevitability it is time to have a conversation on a tax increase. We would have to have the county look at it and what per cent. ”
The board members, after much lamenting and discussion, asked Superintendent Dr. Tony Brads to address the issue at the BOS public hearing budget public input meeting on March 27.
The School Board has its public hearing on the budget on March 29 for submission to the Board of Supervisors prior to April 1.
The school board encouraged Brads to get the word out to parents and students. Brads said, ” We have no control over revenue and mandates are also beyond our control.”
March 22, 2012 - 12:40 PM
I urge the school board to ‘stick to their guns’ and eliminate middle school and high school athletics. Extra curricular activities are not a right, and if these programs have to be cut so be it.
Communities need to realize that funding cuts coming from Richmond are real-and painful-and all-not just the education community, should share the burden of a balanced budget.
Eliminate sports? Wow alderson on didn’t take you long to make your first idiotic comment. Put the tax rate back were it was or a little higher. As a parent I’m for saving this and services by paying a little loire. You take athletics away and the backlash will be phenomenol. There is no mention of the tax rate, is that a taboo subject? I think trying to eliminate a school and we already have some overcrowded is not an option. I voted for John Alderson and if this is the way he thinks it will be my last vote for him.
For starters how about cutting some of MR. Brads salary benefits and compensation. Likely some other administators that could take a cut as well
Don’t worry…We have a $10 million and still counting hiking and dog walking trail at the long vacant Greenfield Center complete with unused Education Building. An award winning Sports Complex that loses over $250,000 each year. We have a new adminstrative officer coming as Emergency Service Director that could disrupt volunteer fire and rescue squads countywide. Don’t forget the beautiful County Convenience Center (trash dump)that loses about $300,000 per year. Oh yea we are paying nearly $1,000,000 a year in salaries / benefits for the 3 County Administrators’ offices plus their needed consultants. Second thought WORRY….THE TAX MAN COMETH
The proposal of cutting PE for our elementary school children is absolutely ridiculous! Our First Lady is on the TV daily telling our children how important physical fitness is and yet that is what they are going to cut??? How much sense does it make that we cut the program that we know is so fundamental to our children’s health (which has been proven to affect their academic progress)and keep things that are not necessary. Although I believe that things like art and music are fun for our children and wonderful for their development, I feel it would be more beneficial to cut those programs that can be done at home on rainy days instead because in the world today most families have 2 working parents who can not always work daily fitness into their already harried schedules. And then there is the fact of the overcrowding …our children no longer have dedicated rooms for art, guidance, music, and computer lab at Colonial Elementary School due to overcrowding. What will they do when they have to be even more overcrowed…well I guess if they cut physical fitness they could divide the gym into classrooms but then they can’t do that because of extracurricular activities. This is a difficult situation that Botetourt County is faced with. High school athletics is the best way to cut costs. The revenue that they bring is basically no where near the costs that it takes to run them for the school year anyway. Children are in school to get an education not be popular because they can throw a touchdown, sink a three-pointer, hit a home run or jump a hurdle…we need to focus on the fact that their are college children who have no idea how to function on the college level ( can’t write outlines, can’t take notes effectively, etc) instead of how good they are on the sports fields.
Let’s just put Botetourt back on the bottom of the top local school system list. Why did Botetourt spend so much money on county logos and marketing? What a shame…. Athletics is an integral part of a school system and the community. Governor school is also a program that keeps Botetourt competitive amoung the other localities. If both are taken away, Botetourt, not just the students, will suffer. People will move out taking your tax revenue and businesses will close. Whether people who no longer have children in the schools want to admit it or not. I am all for raising our taxes back to or slightly higher than before in order to save our programs. Which would still be lower than surrounding counties. We, as a community, need to continue to improve our students’ academic and athletic success which in turn will improve our county and community.
What I don’t think that a lot of people realize is that if you cut athletics, that can affect real estate values and deter people from moving into this county! Cutting athletics also decreases opportunities for scholarships, and gives students more time to do other things, like get in trouble because they don’t have anything positive to do! Bad decision! If I have to pay a few more dollars in RE taxes to support the schools, so be it. There are enough problems in this world that kids have to face these days. We have no business closing successful schools and eliminating programs that help them!
No athletics at the MS and HS level? The high school level?
I don’t care whether you have athletic kids or not; whether you have kids or not. If you live in Botetourt and own property in Botetourt you’d better care? Who would buy a nice home in a school district that can not afford a football team? No one! Because even if they didn’t care, they could not resell their house!
School closure! Hello! We need our schools? Why the heck are there smart boards in every class room if we can’t even keep a school open and support athletics. Larger class size? Botetourt county will be the laughing stock of the valley, with good reason. Get it together people. I hate taxes, but we need to get something going here…
No one today wanted to make the cuts, but it is what it is. Our legislators in Richmond have let us down. They continually return funding to the local level. Five years ago the spread was 60% Sate funding and 40% local/federal. If you read in the story, it is almost 50-50 today. In a forty five million dollar budget that is significant. Incidentally it is about the same school budget in dollars as in 2006. Botetourt has to have a balanced budget. If Botetourt doesn’t have the money? A million dollars might as well be a billion if the money isn’t there. Choice of cutting the school or athletics is really the “Lady or the Tiger,” isn’t it? The constant whittling of state funds over four years in Richmond has cut to the bone. Every thing mentioned here is a direct reflection of that very fact. Look beyond blaming the school board or the county. However, the economy, lack of revenue growth and the lack of state funds are the culprits in the money crunch. Watch for tomorrow’s article on the BV interview with David Moorman, Deputy County Administrator. Also tomorrow we will post the announcement of the new County Administrator.
We don’t need sports because we need to focus on college prep? Any parents considering college and moving to this area would not choose to live in a school district that can not afford sport teams- clearly it would be indicative of other short comings in the county. READ: Property values:DOWN.
I think this county needs to figure out what it is doing- a snazzy sports complex- but no high schools teams? And for those of you think sports are not important- where is the marching band going to perform? I don’t have kids in older grades now, but I think it would be heart breaking to a student athlete not to have a team! And what do kids who have nothing to do after school, do? Don’t tell me you expect them all to hang out in the library studying…There has got to be a better way- perhaps pay to play (with in reason.)
And someone tell me- which elementary school is not important?
Oh and yes, I would like a line by line on budget. I pay taxes, I have kids. I would love to know where my money is going…please don’t assume that or the rest of county is too dumb to understand. Perhaps we have all been too trusting, too passive; but I’d like to see the budget. I understand it is not simple and straight forward, but we are not talking about minor changes.
Neither arts, music nor PE should be cut because there are some parents who are not athletic, not artistic and not musical and school is the only opportunity some students have any exposure to those three subjects. Instead of completely cutting athletics, something to consider is adjusting the VHSL rules so that instead of driving all over the state, putting wear & tear on our buses, we play teams only in our geographic region (say from Lexington to Blacksburg, Craig County to Bedford County & teams in that range.) And while some kids get scholarships based on athletics, that should NEVER be the only reason to go on to college. There are a lot of Botetourt county grads that thoroughly excelled in college WITHOUT sports scholarships because they have parents who worked with them and supported them regardless of how tight the school budget is.
You can’t cut Athletics, take all the fun from the kids and there will be many drop outs or moving to other locations, What a mess!!
How about we look at the overall budget for the county itself. Surely there are other things we can cut – I am positive there is – and after all, it is our money they are spending so we should be able to decide what they cut and what they don’t. If we talk bare bones, that means cutting the things that are luxury and saving the things that are essential. Our problem is – not everyone, but a large number of us have failed to voice our opinions or even pay attention to what has been happening around us and to our county, state, and country. Let us not do that anymore. This is exactly why! We owe it to each other to be more involved and to pay attention so that our legislators are working for US and not just up there lining their own pockets and scratching each others backs. For now, let’s be there Tuesday night and then in November, let’s stand up and make it stop. The country is in a huge deficit too – and growing – so it is not just here and my fear is that it gets worse.
Maybe this is how the General Assembly plans to pay for those pre-abortion ultrasounds for women who have no insurance to pay for them. Oh, no, that’s right, the savings maybe will go for those Exit 150 improvements……
The GA definitely has let us down. It’s most important job is to pass a BUDGET. Incredible to believe that a partisan controlled state Senate and House of Delegates cannot even agree on the most important task at hand — A BUDGET.
DO YOUR JOBS, VIRGINIA STATE SENATORS AND DELEGATES!
I am something north of 50 years old, and all my life sports and art have been a part of the educational experience in public schools. I could quote numerous sources of the importance of both to the full development and growth of a child into an adult, but I do not have room.
As a business person, I have dealt directly with budgets and controlling expenses for over 30 years, so I fully grasp the seriousness of the situation.
The county must honor its mission which stated on its website is as follows:”It is the mission of Botetourt County Public Schools to ensure that all students participate in quality learning experiences necessary to grow, to adapt and to meet the challenges of responsible citizenship in a changing global society.”
Sports and art are and for a very long time have been part of the “learning experience” of our children. We will fail our children if we deny them these avenues of growth. We will not be preparing our children to “meet the challenges of responsible citizenship in a changing global society.” I challenge EVERY board member to respond to how they are LEGALLY meeting THEIR mission if they pursue the above suggestions. Quite simply their proposals are unacceptable and they have to go back to the drawing board and come up with suggestions that will enable them to meet their own mission. If not then I believe the only honorable option iseto resign.
As a business person, I recognize revenue will have to be raised and sadly it will probably need to come from higher taxes.
keeping sports is so important. we need these. its only thing i look forward to everyday. lord botetourt is so worried about getting new bleachers and a new scoredboard. which leads to no sports so what a waste of time and money good job guys!…..
I just recently graduated from Lord Botetourt High School and when I heard that the state was going to cut the school budgets I couldn’t believe my ears. During the four years I attend LB I suffered through leaking roofs, over worked and under paid teachers, crowed classes, paper shortages, and of course just high school. But somehow we revived a touch screen monitor in the lobby we never used, smart boards, though fun, were unnecessary, new mac computers that were going to be thrown out, but were instead handed over to the art departments after much persuasion, and other small things that were pretty and fun, but didn’t really help the students or staff. I feel that instead of cutting out programs that keep kids healthy, happy, and occupied with “safe” fun, the school should think about cutting costs on making the school look nicer and keep the programs that actually benefit the students. Overall I oppose the budget cut all together and think that the community should convince the state that the budget cuts should be taken out of something a little less important than our future. But these are just my thoughts and wishes. I do hope that the high school doesn’t get any worse, because is was barely holding together when I left.
This is a horrible idea if I have ever hurd one. You shouldn’t cut sports. Cut back salaries. Make a tax increaseon the county. I work for a living, I go to school, and I play sports. I bet you that many of people will support a tax increase for our schools. We need to stop spending money on computers,wifi, and tv’s. Do you know how bad it is as a student when you have to pay for paper because we can even afford that cost as a county school. We need to spend our money better as a county and this issue will never happen.
Not long ago we had a Fincastle Supervisor that was worried about expenses and the budget. His concern was you don’t know what the future will hold. The Fincastle Herald led vicious personal attacks of this supervisor and played the Pied Piper with voters skipping along merrily to the tune of a misfit and not wanting to hear about money concerns of the future. Now in large part thanks to the Herald, we are about to either lose services or see massive tax increases to continue needed programs, concerns Mr. Ceola expressed time and time again as he examined the budget and looked for ways to be more responsible. I’m sure the same detractors of Mr. Ceola will condemn my thoughts here but the time has come and we were fully unprepared for the financial problems of the future which we are now living in. Yes, the state has thrown this problem our we but our government should have done a better job of governing when there was still a chance. No school programs would mean a drastic loss of future citizens and future income to the county. But that is a future concern and I’m sure no one is concerned about the future judging by past behavior of the voters who are keen to toss out fiscally responsible leaders in exchange for reading fabulously vindictive newpaper attacks.
As a runner for LBHS I hate the thought of cutting athletics. Running for LB has given me and all athletes so many different opportunities. I mean heck I competed last year in the 2011 Paralympic National Championships and I’m headed off to Indianapolis, Indiana this summer for the 2012 Paralympic Summer Games Trials and I might even make it to the Summer Games in London. If I hadn’t joined the track team none of that would have happened. Botetourt needs athletics. There must be other ways to solve this issue.
Reduced state funding is and was not a surprise. The same conditions that face county governmant face stae governmant they too must operate within a balanced budget. The supervisors wasted last year’s budget discussion on personal attacks and insults rather than working on long term budget solutions. The irony, last year those that spoke against raises for county employee were termed radical extremist. Now we talk of closing schools and eliminating high school sports.
Don’t suppose anyone would support a small increase in the real estate tax that would allow the County to keep the level of service it currently has.
This really saddens me… but the money has to come from somewhere. I grew up in Botetourt county and went to Botetourt county schools my entire life. I now live in NY, and we have to pay what is called a school tax. I know everyone hates to pay more taxes, but we all want to keep things the same without paying more… it doesn’t work that way!
No decision at the end of the day is going to make everyone happy. I hope that the kids continue to be able to play sports and take things like art and music. I hope that for the county’s sake that sports and other activities continue, because people will move out of the county because children will lose chances at scholarships.
This is sad to say the least. The small town I am living in now (I moved from Botetourt to here this year to take a position with Americorps VISTA) has no way of paying for its athletics. They have one school in the town and it is an elementary school. Their programs are entirely grant funded. After searching for and writing grants myself, I’ve realized that there is a ton of money out there floating around for worthwhile causes. Why don’t they apply of a few to help out these programs? A pay program would be great if every child’s parents could afford it but many who actually “need” these programs are from disadvantaged homes. The athletic programs serve a bigger purpose then just helping kids out physically, it keeps a lot of them out of trouble too. I grew up in Botetourt and there is nothing for a teen to do around there on a Saturday night, unless they are on an athletic team or out partying at a friends house. (And by the way John Alderson I don’t know if you had to be a kid running around the streets of Fincastle, but for a teen it’s a dead town.) That one football/baseball/soccer/volleyball/softball…etc program could mean the world to one kid and maybe even keep them off a destructive path. Now the money will need to come from somewhere and maybe it means making small cuts in a lot of different areas instead of completely eliminating a school or its vital programs… I guess we’ll see.
I am a Botetourt County student and I not believe it is good for the teens if you stop the after school activities. If they arent playing sports, which at Lord Botetourt is over half the school population, than they will be out causing trouble, possibly doing illegal activites, and sitting on the couch eating instead of doing physical activites such as school sports. We need school sports to keep our community safe!
Last year Botetourt County received $702,912.00 from the Vitginia Lottery, and since 1999 Botetourt County has received $ 9,077,262.00
How is this money spent?
This is troubling in more ways than one. The increase was state mandated, yet they will not cover it? The increase was to cover benefits for state employees. So, a pay increase to offset personal benefits. Why was that needed?? And we want to cut athletics, PE for little ones, and potentially ART or Music to pay for it. Forget it. Someone needs to realize the concepts are plain silly. Taxes, I hate them like most, but would cover an slight increase for these activities. Yet, seems like the spending that gets us here is out of control on ALL levels. Someone needs to stop the madness. No one is ever guaranteed a pay increase. Benefits, we all have to pay them and if they change, well, we find ways to cover them, not have someone else do it for us. So why are teachers any different. I hate it for them, but lets be real. work 10 months, off two, great benefits and pretty good salaries. Nothing is ever guaranteed in life, and sometimes you have to give or sacrifice. But with over crowded schools where I live, I’m not hearing any correct option in the items provided so far. Start over and look broader. I don’t like politicians hands in my pockets when they can’t control their own first. Stop guaranteed increased spending on unneeded items until you have a surplus to do it with.
Rod, they have cut the budget on the school level 8 million dollars in the past four years. The county has big cut as well. When the ambulance which is one of the items in Buchanan that is being cut this year breaks down coming to get a person in crisis, when is enough enough??? Have you ever had 100 students like a Middle or High School teacher five days per week– who has to pass a test for the state and the feds to keep accredited. Core classroom teachers do that on a daily basis. how much more would the cost be if we went to school year round. Most teachers get their ed hours in in the summer which they are required to do and have their pay spread over 12 months.Did you never have a teacher make an impact on your life?
Read the Moorman story in the next hour on Botetourview.com.
Look at all of those county executives, such as the wonderful Doctor Brads, who drive county owned vehicles to and from home to work each day. Take away these and other perks.
How many of you who who live in Botetourt get free gas and vehicle wear perks??? All of us would like them but, in tuff times they need to be reduced or eliminated. The Director of Transportation can’t say he needs it in order to ride the roads. He calls VDOT for road conditions and if you watch the TV in the morning Botetourt ussually does whatever Roanoke does, regardless of conditions in the northern part of the county. And if they really need a vehicle for official business they can drive their personal vehicle to the garage and pick up one.
Athletics is not a requirement. It does keep some of our children in school long enough to receive an education and to stay out of trouble. Teamwork learned in athletics carries over into life. In closing, get rid of the fluff from the so called leaders before taking on sports elimination.
Rod does have a point.
I love teachers. I think they are super important. I think they work super hard. I know a lot of people who work super hard. Most people I know are paying more for benefits to the point they are really making less than they were making a few years back- some, even after being promoted. I come from a teaching family; may be one myself some day. But when my Dad was teaching, he also worked a summer job. The economy is such that most families have felt a pinch, if not a kick.
I think what teachers REALLY need is more support on the front lines; smaller classes and a chance to use the well educated mind that they have (and as noted are required to get ed hours for) to actually teach, how they want to teach- instead of documenting what are doing and fretting over pacing guides and how to work a smart board. I bet a lot of teachers would take a little less pay in return for a lot less stress. Can you just imagine trying to get some of the MS and HS students to focus after they read about this in their paper tonight?
As a student of Lord Botetourt High, and a member of three Lord Botetourt athletic teams,it is my opinion, and nearly all of the other students, that you CANNOT cut the athletics at the MS and HS level. Every single day for 181 days, we are forced to sit in a desk in a freaaing cold or way too hot building for six hours. We work our hardest to get good grades and gresy SAT scores so we can get into college and make something of our lives. All we do is school work. Study, test, homework, study, test, homework, study, test, homework. And it just get harder every year. Our culture puts so much pressure on us in this day in age to excel in school. While their pressuring us they are making the classes we take more difficult than ever. The classes we take now, would have been college courses 35 years ago. It’s a lot to handle. The only break we get is in our sports, arts, clubs, and extra curricular activities. If you take any of that away, then you’re demolishing the little bit of youth we have left. We only have four years in high school to play the sports we love. Most of us won’t get to do it in college. After college it’s all about your career or settling down a family. This is it. Four years. It’s all the time we have left. We take your SOL’s, we take your SAT’s. We study and do our work. We come to school every day and we do it on your terms. Please. Let us have our sports.
i think it’s rather hypocritical that brads’ salary won’t be cut yet he thinks it’s just fine to rid the schools of sports…many kids depend on sports for scholarships so they can attend college..for other kids, it helps keep them from doing drugs, drinking, crime….statistics show that kids not involved in sports are more prone to the above and therefore that would be horrible on the county of botetourt in general, whether you have kids in school or not…how ’bout brads leads by example and takes a cut from his salary?
The citizens of Botetourt need to stand up and fight for what they believe in and stop letting our Republic Government make decisions for our children. If we shift teachers around anymore and cut pay they are already going to teach less then they are now. Teaching has become a primary issue, not sports. Teachers don’t get the opportunity to teach what they want nor have the resources to teach. And what does PTA stand for, it used to stand for Parent Teacher Association. Now it stands for a community of a few parents who spend most of their time fundraising and begging for money to buy smartboards and books for schools who don’t have the funding to by them. There isn’t a committe that actually advocates for their children anymore, stands up for what they believe in nor do they question school authorities about bogus standards. I don’t believe that cutting salaries is a smart decision, unless they are salries of those individuals who are being payed remove sports, and core subjects such as music, art, and drama from the lives of our future generations. I hope more parents see the light of all of the issues at hand, not just sports.
I see the usual “Report and Distort” tactics of the Administration aided by the press have gotten everyone distracted from the real problem by threatening to eliminate Sports, Arts, Schools, Emergency Services, etc., and you know the Stuff “THAT’S ALWAYS ABOUT THE CHILDREN”.
Isn’t it amazing when moneys needed to support government expansion a surplus appears, but when there is a shortfall, it’s gone. Then the tactic is to scare the crap out of you so they can build a case to raise your taxes and what do we do? We just roll over, wag our tail and wait to have our bellies scratched. There is hardly ever any consideration giving to eliminating or reducing the size of government. I guess there is some hidden universal law that actually prevents government form getting leaner.
How convenient that not a person has mentioned anything about letting go of nonessential personal. You be the Judge who or what is essential or non-essential. If you’re in the schools and you don’t teach why are you there? It’s about time to talk about cutting some of the benefits of county and school employees. A first year hires benefits equals in some cases as much as 50% of their salary. 24 days paid time off with as much as 15 additional sick days if needed. On top of that Health and Drug benefits, Life Insurance, Dental Insurance, Wellness Programs, and the BIGGIE, retirement contributions paid and guaranteed by you the taxpayer.
Maybe now’s the time that county employees start to contribute something towards the cost of their health insurance and it wouldn’t be a bad idea for them to start picking up some of the cost of the dependent insurance as well. Medical insurance alone cost the county almost 1.5 Million last year, who knows what it is this year.
Maybe now it’s time to consider eliminating all those community organizations we redistribute money to many of which are outside Botetourt County. Here are just a few examples:
a. Center in the Square
b. Dabney S. Lancaster
c. Goodwill Industries
d. League of Older Americans
e. Roanoke Area Ministries
f. Salvation Army
g. Science Museum of Western Virginia
h. TAP
i. Virginia Transportation Museum
j. Western VA Land Trust
If that’s not bad enough the school board budget gives away your money to many of these same organizations as well, I guess that’s what you call double dipping.
Maybe now it’s time to look at all the money spent on county employees dues and association memberships cost and the associated convention costs, meals, lodging and travel expenses we spend to get them there.
Maybe now it’s time to reconsider just how much or if we should continue to spend money incentivizing people to do stuff that benefits a handful of citizens.
Maybe it’s time for this county to get out from under the things it does that are not self-sustaining.
Let’s just get down in the grease, the real issue is everyone is on the take; everybody has their hand in some Government cookie jar and nobody wants to see their cookies cut back or eliminated. So guess what people, if you want this stuff your going have to pay the price. One does not have to be a prophet to tell you unless you take a stand, HIGHER TAXES are on the way. Oh yes the tax rates have gone down over the last few years, but guess what your property values went way up. We have all been paying taxes on property that was assessed at the peak of value, the last few years we have all seen our property values go down. Property values didn’t go down because we eliminated sports, or closed schools. They have gone down because our government is doing all it can to fill everybody’s cookie jar and its going broke trying to keep them filled.
Government will continue to grow and grow, we will continue to fund it “Because It’s about the Children” when you’re broke with nothing left, and I do mean nothing. Then guess what? The government will be on the streets protesting, they will be coming after your house, your property. Yes, Yes, I can see it now someone is going to write I am a fanatic, or even better a Socialist “Been there Heard that” there is not much left anyone can say to hurt me.
Last year’s Budget hearing drew about 250 Government Employees and about 10 citizens showed up. Do you know what kind of message that sends to the Board of Supervisors? It says you don’t care. I don’t expect it to be any different this year except this year I bet you will see 250 parents of various sports all demanding the county keeps their hands out of their cookie jar.
Every county department adds reserves into their budgets, there are reserve funds on top of reserve funds. It is mind boggling to see the money this county has tucked away while it keeps insisting you need to pay more.
When we the people insist that out Government return to what it was meant to be it will get better, until then, wax up your surfboard and get ready for the ride of your life because here comes the big one.
Larry Ceola
As a former Botetourt County student (graduated), this makes me sick. I believe that every middle/high school kid should have the opportunity to be in a sport. Not only does it give kids something to do, it also builds character and keeps them physically fit. Same goes for the art/music programs, which help kids out intellectually, and allows them to develop skills to further enhance their natural talents. To think that could be taken away from our schools is just awful.
First of all, to attack Dr. Brads is a mistake. He is just reporting the facts and managing a school district. Secondly, the county administrators are only trying to deal with the hand the general assembly has dealt them. Thirdly, man up…our children are our future. If up to 1600 students are athletes in the secondary education system(based on the article), how many students are enrolled in the secondary system. It looks like up to 50% of our students are atheletes. What are they to do if you cut out athletics? Sports in the school system are more than dollars, its the heart, the identity, and the experience of the school, community and the students. Every one of us participated, watched, or cheered their schools in victory and defeat, its a shame that we are considering not letting our children have the same experience. How about higher meals taxes, allowing more establishments in the county(its a shame that Sports Complex attendees have to go to Roanoke for some diversity in food and drinks), or pay to play.
As a taxpayer that stays out of politics, after seeing all the negative remarks, I felt I needed to speak out. Ricky Martin, what do you mean by “massive tax increase”? 5 cents is a “massive tax increase”? $125.00 more a year in real estate taxes is “massive”? I don’t know what the county is thinking in terms of a tax increase, but $125.00 a year isn’t much. Another writer writes about “luxury items” in the budget. What are they? I’d like to know. Like Cathy Benson said, read the article. The state is giving the county 10% less. A supervisor said previously, “the county has many mandated items which must be paid regardless”. I don’t know about anyone else, but goods and services that I buy keep going up. Why do people think the cost of goods and services for Botetourt County should be going down? I don’t get it. And look at all the county has gained since the last tax reduction…..a new jail, renovations at JRHS, and a new library are just a few. And as far as schools, my children have gone on to college after graduating from Botetourt County Schools and have done well. They were pretty heavy into sports and school clubs. As a parent, I can’t ask for anything more. Looking back at old Fincastle Herald’s, I seen where the county was in a deficit situation in 1998 because of a tax reduction. When the deficit began to impact the county, citizens let the supervisors know they were displeased with the handling of taxpayer funds. This is happening again now, and unlike other counties around Botetourt who have been dealing with financial problems for awhile, we’re just now feeling it. According to the county auditor, the county has been in good shape. When the last real estate tax reduction was voted on by the supervisors in 2006, it was the right thing to do then. But cutting back to the extent that I see, I think I’d rather the county get their 5 cents back. With Roanoke County at $1.09 and Roanoke City at $1.19, 70 cents doesn’t seem like much. “You get what you pay for”.
First of all, I thought it was quite interesting that nowhere in the list of possible cut backs, eliminations, and reductions was it ever mentioned that school board personnel positions might be reduced. It is always the teacher and support staff positions that seem to take the wrath of the county budget crisis. In turn this usually results in an increase in class size negatively impacting schools, test scores, and most importantly, our children.
Many citizens are unaware of the direction our county, our state, and our country is taking where education is concerned. There are changes taking place on a county level that could be detrimental to maintaining high standards and student achievement. Our students are assessed repeatedly, not only from a state level, but a county level as well. These tests have interfered with a teacher’s ability to TEACH. By threatening to close a school and remove crucial programs only adds to the already growing problem. It is my opinion that our district will not be as competitive on an educational level as we have so proudly maintained in the past if the suggestions are carried out. Furthermore, I would encourage our county citizens, especially those who have children in Botetourt County Public Schools, to take a closer look at the details.
Mr. Ceola, many words came to mind as I read through your comments, but “fanatic” wasn’t one of them. Although I agree with a few of your statements, there are several issues that you are either misinformed about or you are unable to decipher the differences between county employees and school employees benefits, mainly those of the educators.
I am aware of your opinions about teachers and education. You made that quite clear during the controversial salary increase last year. I also realize there are those who think a teacher’s job is easy and the work days are short. Let’s not forget that lengthy summer vacation! The truth is teachers are still underpaid and at times underappreciated. After the direction our public education has taken just in the last five years, it leaves many extremely concerned about the future. Teachers give their heart and soul to the children of this society each and every school day, but it doesn’t stop there. When you count the professional development days, inservice days (Botetourt has more than most counties in our area), summer school programs, after school remediation services, lesson planning time, PTA and school events that are attended, etc. The list goes on and on. The job isn’t so easy and stress free. They earn every single dime they make.
I would like to clarify some of the misconceptions about teacher/school benefits. Teachers have 12 sick days each year with two of those days being personal days. The insurance benefits are covered by the school system, but employees are required to pay for their dependents who are added to the policy. The life insurance coverage, although helpful, is equal to the teacher’s salary and we all know that isn’t much. The retirement is of much concern lately since many issues are taking place on a state level which will ultimately decide our fate. Are you saying that after a teacher spends a third of their life educating our youth and preparing our future generations that they would not have earned retirement benefits? It has been my experience that teachers do not go into this profession for the “perks”, benefits, or high paying salaries. They choose this career because they love children and the job is becoming more demanding, stressful, and politically controlled than should be allowed. They don’t need small minded individuals attacking them as though they are undeserving of how little they are compensated.
Please do your homework before making future comments about education.
In case you want a vision of what it is like without sports please read the excerpts from an article on Sports Illustrated’s website. You can copy and paste the link at the end to read the full article.
GROVE CITY, Ohio — That first Friday at Grove City High was so quiet. Any other school year, the school’s nationally acclaimed band would have ended the day by marching through the halls blasting the fight song. Any other school year, more than 11,000 would have gathered later that evening at the stadium behind the school to watch the Greyhounds — better known as the Dawgs — open their season. Any other school year, Friday would have meant something.
On Aug. 28, football players didn’t come to school in their jerseys. Cheerleaders didn’t wear their uniforms. The band didn’t march, and the team didn’t play. Exactly one hour after the final bell rang, the doors were locked. “Every day feels like a Tuesday,” said Mike Mayers, the senior who thought he would start at quarterback this season. “Fridays are the days that everybody realizes things aren’t the same.”
Mayers no longer has a team because the South-Western City School Board (the district includes four high schools: Central Crossing, Grove City, Franklin Heights and Westland) took the unprecedented step of canceling all extra-curricular activities after voters failed to pass an operating levy Aug. 4. Now, the four high schools in Ohio’s sixth-largest school district have no sports, no bands, no drama productions and no student council.
Friday doesn’t matter anymore in the South-Western district, but Tuesday, Nov. 3, does. On that day district voters will go to the polls a fourth time to decide whether the district will receive the additional property tax dollars the school board insists it needs to bring back sports, clubs and busing for high school students.
The issue has turned neighbor against neighbor and caused shouting matches at school board meetings and on street corners. Those who oppose the levy argue that the district should find a more efficient way to spend the money it already has instead of asking for more tax dollars. The anti-levy crusaders appear to be the majority, evidenced by the fact that the levy already has been voted down three times. Those who support the levy warn that if the district doesn’t offer a full program that includes a quality education and extra-curricular activities, parents will leave for another district that does. They also fear that another no vote will force the school board to slice into academic programs, which could trigger a mass exodus. That, they argue, would further erode the tax base and rob South-Western of many of its brightest students. To the pro-levy side, the Nov. 3 vote is nothing short of a referendum on the future of the community.
“This community is going to die,” Grove City High football coach Matt Jordan said. “That’s the big fear.”
The situation in South-Western is extreme, but it isn’t unusual. Across the nation, school districts are wrestling with a fundamental question. When money is tight, should taxpayers be funding high school sports? In Mount Vernon, N.Y., students, parents, coaches, teachers and community leaders raised nearly $1 million to fund the school district’s sports program for the 2008-09 school year after voters twice declined to pass the district budget and forced the district into austerity mode. The budget was passed — with funding for athletics — for the current school year. In the East Side Union district in San Jose, Calif., sports were on the chopping block until this summer, when district officials reached an 11th-hour compromise to fund sports that included a $200 “donation” from each athlete.
What’s happening at South-Western could happen almost anywhere in America, because South-Western could be almost anywhere in America. Its 127 square miles include rural areas with farms and rolling hills, tree-lined suburbs such as Grove City and urban areas within the Columbus city limits. According to district records, 52 percent of the district’s 21,000 students receive either free or reduced lunch. South-Western also serves a large portion of the Columbus area’s growing Somali population. That economic disparity was the reason the school board did not allow the schools to charge a participation fee to fund athletics this year. Board members worried that the district’s lower-income students would be denied opportunities, so they elected to deny athletics to everyone.
Coaches, athletes have moved
On a Chamber of Commerce evening last week, the football field at Central Crossing High sat empty. The unlined grass was cut in neat rows with no cleat marks to break up the monotony. Over at Franklin Heights High, someone put a wreath on one of the locked gates shortly after school began. Now, the schools open one hour before the first bell and close one hour after the last one.
The decision to eliminate athletics has cost the district some of its coaches. While Jordan still teaches at Grove City, he serves as an assistant at North Pickerington High, 23 miles away. Other coaches simply have left. Mark Tremayne, the respected cross-country coach at Central Crossing, left to take a job at Hilliard Darby High.
Dozens of athletes also have left. Most are football players who don’t have club or travel seasons like their basketball, baseball, soccer and volleyball counterparts. To keep getting recruited, football players have to play for a high school. One example is former Franklin Heights lineman Cody Evans, a 6-foot-3, 350-pound junior who is drawing interest from a number of Football Bowl Subdivison schools. Evans landed at Briggs High in Columbus.
Some former South-Western students have had to file for emancipation from their parents so they can live in other school districts. One coach said he knows a perfectly happy couple that has legally separated so the student can live with one parent in an apartment in another district.
Jordan Sturgell, a former Grove City High football player, didn’t have to go to that extreme, but his parents did have to fill out paperwork for a guardianship change so Sturgell can live with his aunt and uncle and attend Teays Valley High and play his senior season. Sturgell has received interest from schools in Division II, Division III and the Football Championship Subdivisio
Jeramie Stump (79) would have been the starting center this season at Grove City (Ohio) High. But since the school district canceled all extra-curricular activities, he has transferred to Grove City Christian, a nearby private school.
Deidre Stump
Sturgell’s former teammate, Jeramie Stump, now plays for Grove City Christian. Stump, a 6-foot-3, 273-pound center, chose the school because he felt it gave him the best chance to be seen by college recruiters. He put himself on the recruiting radar with impressive showings at several camps in the summer, and he is receiving attention from schools in all three NCAA divisions. He would love to play for a Mid-American Conference school such as Bowling Green, Toledo or Miami (Ohio), but to get noticed by those schools, he must play his senior season.
Stump considered some of the public schools that offered open enrollment, but he would have faced the same issues other South-Western refugees have faced. Would the team’s starting lineup already be set? If he did win a starting job, would he be shunned by his new teammates for taking away a position from their friend?
Stump’s mother, Deidre, recently began working again for the first time in seven months after getting laid off. She said she cashed in her retirement to pay her son’s $5,000 tuition at the private school. She said moving wasn’t an option; two houses on her street have been for sale for months without so much as a nibble.
Stump was one of a group of South-Western students who went door-to-door almost every day this summer trying to drum up support for the levy, which would have required homeowners to pay an additional $254 a year for every $100,000 of assessed value for the next four years. He was among the hundreds who crowded the Grove City Church of the Nazarene on Aug. 4 to await the result of the levy vote. When it was announced that the levy had failed by less than one percent, Stump couldn’t believe his ears. Since elementary school, he’d only wanted to be a Dawg. He’d worked his way into the starting lineup for his senior year, and the season was canceled.
The next morning, Stump sat in the parking lot of the same church. On the football field next door, his first practice for Grove City Christian was about to begin. Before he joined his new team, Stump cried. The tears would roll again Aug. 29, when Stump took the field for Grove City Christian’s season opener. “I should be focusing on my first game,” Stump said, “and I broke down crying.”
Others have stayed. Maggie Buechner, the president of the Central Crossing booster club, said her daughter, Julie, chose to stay for her senior year because she already has committed to play soccer at South Alabama. Mayers, who would have been Grove City’s quarterback, already has committed to play baseball at Ole Miss. He said he could have played football somewhere else, but it wouldn’t have been Grove City football. On that first Friday, Mayers attended the Teays Valley-Westfall game.
“I haven’t been back to a game since,” Mayers said. “The worst part about it isn’t the fact that you’re not playing. It’s the fact that you’ve played all your life, and you didn’t get to decide that you’re not playing anymore. Somebody else decided you’re not playing.” Sturgell is one of four former South-Western students on the roster at Teays Valley. A fifth decided to return to Grove City after the team’s first game. “I can’t sit out from football,” said Sturgell, who plays running back, receiver and safety. “Football’s my life. I love it.” When Sturgell’s new team opened the season Aug. 28 against Westfall, both starting quarterbacks were former Grove City players.
Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/andy_staples/09/16/nosports/index.html#ixzz1q6Fm5frY
FYI I researched further, and based on what information I can find a tax levy was finally passed and sports appear to have been restored.
If you take away a kids sports, you take away a kids reason to go to school and do well. Don’t.
Children go to school to learn to prepare for life. Knowing that sports and extracurricular activities can aid in that development I ask a question – Roanoke City has great sports fields and good sports teams – yet their graduation rate is abysmal. Sports can also be used as a hoped for esacape hatch. Everyone can AND SHOULD pitch in if they want sports and extracurricular activities. Another question… How many students have cell phones, IPads,, and other electronic devices that often have monthly fees ($30 – $50)? How about teaching shared sacrifice and ask the students if they were willing to give up their electronics for the extracurricular activities. I would bet you would be surprised at how little the students would be willing to sacrifice for their activities.
We live in a soft nation where everyone feels entitled to many things. Their is no responsibility, no accountability, and no sacrifice for the important things.
Ask the students what is important to them – classes or extracurricular activities. When they state the activities it will be a sad statement for what our country has raised.
I totally disagree. My father played three high school sports in the Great Depression and even then they funded athletics. I see the young people in Botetourt County on a regular basis and I find they tend to be like everyone else. Some play sports, some do not. They are however caring,energetic kids and many are great volunteers. They work at the food pantry, rake leaves at the Ronald McDonald House, get Toys for Tots, Bot-e-tots and every one else who needs help. They work hard on Relay for Life. They will go on mission trips, become Eagle Scouts and they represent this county as well as any adult. I have numerous articles about them and tons of photos. Yes, they have cell phones and that is a primary type of communication for them. Welcome to the world in 2012. Mostly, they want to go to school and become successful. I think my generation messed up a lot and I believe theirs will try to right our wrongs. The youth of today are just great. Many sacrifice a great deal for their families and friends.Just curious, how many young people do you hang out with? Have you been a parent?
We have a great graduation rate here in Botetourt County by the way.
Larry take Don,Dougie,Jim “THE WEASEL” Crosby, Ricky Martin and especially Tyson and do your own “Survivor Show”. Mark Tyyon can but you guys an island and you can sit around and and decide whose running things and “b#%@* at each other. Oh take Chuck Browder with you to since he’s your new puppet.yB3w
Who can I contact on the School Board or otherwise to voice my opinions?
What amazes me is that they just hired a secretary for the board with a salary of $136,000 per year and yet our teachers make only a fraction of that and they do the real work every day and instead of considering a cut in pay for “support staff” they want to close a school, cut out PE in elementary schools, eliminate MS and HS sports, and “cut” teachers that have given so much more to our children than a secretary does??? Where are the priorities Botetourt County …because with this mess it certainly doesn’t seem like it is our children!!! This is ridiculous !!!
I am astonshed at the ignorance of citizens of this County that think a secretary is being paid $136,000. It is the County Administrator…the CEO of the County. And the amount is not even right it is $132,500…there are even stories on this blog that show that. Please stop the rumors and educate yourselves before mouthing off. If you want to fight for something…I am all for it, but make sure you have your facts right first. You make yourself and this County look bad.
For Corrin– the school board members are Ruth Wallace chairman, Amsterdam, Kathy Sullivan, Buchanan, John Alderson, Fincastle, Scott Swortzel, Blue Ridge,and Michael Beahm, Valley. That being said, you can look at the website to get the best address for them. http://www.bcps.k12.va.us/schoolboard
As an athlete at Lord Botetourt High School I find it utterly RIDICULOUS that they would even consider cutting athletics. Sure they can go ahead and cut sports and see how many students will be switching to another locality, myself being included. Of course I am being biased because I am a High School athlete but it is still ridiculous that years from now if our kids ask us what sport did you play in school? We would have to say nothing, because we didn’t have sports… My mother and I believe that it would be fair to raise taxes a little seeing it is compared to Roanoke county ours are low. Northside High School sounds pretty good about now…
How do you manipulate people into thinking it’s THEIR idea to raise taxes?: Threaten athletics, and if that doesn’t get them, threaten public safety, libraries, community services, senior van etc., all of the things Botetourt County surveys (paid for by the county), indicate residents treasure. Don’t think about selling off Greenfield to a private entrepreneur (if there is one foolish enough to buy it) who will then have to pay taxes on it. Keep on paying former school superintendents and administrators (some of whom appear to have been “bumped up” after failing in their school positions) huge retirement benefits despite a shorter tenure in the schools than the teachers, custodians, support staff, bus drivers and so on. Oh, and make sure they get every possible benefit whild employed.It’s obvious to me, as someone who balances my budget, albeit sometimes dipping into my reserves instead of asking my neighbors to pay for car repairs or whatever), that when the tax rate goes up ten cents or more) I will have to eliminate some expenses. Even though I always have been a newspaper junkie, I wll no longer subscribe to The Fincastle Herald and The Roanoke Times. I figuure these cuts, combined with the lowering of my blood pressure from not reading the papers,will lead to lower medical costs. PROBLEM SOLVED. Should I feel compelled to continue reading the nespapers, I will go to the Blue Ridge Library during the three days a week it might be open. Oh, I forgot, the library may no longer be able to afford the subscriptions either.
Our house search in Botetourt County is over for the time being and for the forseable future. We will keep on renting. I would hate to buy a house in a county where resell would be harder no matter what the home value. A county without sports and other needed activities in school would be a hard re-sell for housing.