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>>> GOOD AFTERNOON AND WELCOME TO THE SCHOOL BOARD, THANK YOU
FOR MEETING WITH US TODAY. I KNOW YOUR CALENDARS ARE PRETTY
BUSY AND WE WEREN'T ABLE TO MEET EARLIER, BUT THIS IS, I GUESS,
AS GOOD A MOMENT AS ANY NOW THAT WE HAVE MORE INFORMATION IN
FRONT OF US, MAYBE THE CONVERSATION CAN BE MORE
MEANINGFUL, HOPEFULLY. I WANT TO WELCOME, AGAIN, THE
CHAIR AND THE VICE CHAIR AND ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE SCHOOL BOARD,
A SPECIAL WELCOME, DR. KING, AND GLAD TO SEE YOU HERE AND ALL OF
YOUR STAFF AS WELL. SO THE MANAGER HAS JUST
PRESENTED HIS BUDGET TO -- HIS PROPOSED BUDGET TO THE CITY
COUNCIL AND WE HAVE SEEN YOUR PROPOSED BUDGET, AND NOW WE'RE
ALL COMING TOGETHER TO SEE HOW WE CAN MAKE THIS THING FIT, AND
SO IN THAT SPIRIT, WHAT WOULD BE THE BEST FOR OUR CHILDREN AND
FOR OUR TAXPAYERS AT THE SAME TIME, WE WANT TO HAVE A
DISCUSSION. YOU HAVE YOUR HANDS FULL AND WE
DO TOO, SO HAVING SAID THAT, DR. KING OR DR. HOUSTON, DID YOU
WANT TO SAY SOMETHING? I KNOW YOU HAVE A PRESENTATION
AND WEED BE GLAD TO HEAR FROM YOU.
>> YES, THANK YOU, MAYOR FRAIM AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, GOOD
AFTERNOON. WE'RE PLEASED TO HAVE THIS
OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE IN CONVERSATION WITH YOU AND TO
GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW, AS THE MAYOR INDICATED, WE DID, OF
COURSE, SUBMIT OUR BUDGET BACK ON APRIL -- MARCH 30th AND WE
WANT TO PRESENT SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF HOW WE ARRIVED, WHERE WE ARE,
AND WHAT OUR NEEDS, CHALLENGES, OPPORTUNITIES AND PRIORITIES
ARE, AND DR. KING WILL GET INTO THAT IN JUST A MOMENT.
BUT WE BEGAN OUR PROCESS BACK IN JANUARY.
OF COURSE, AFTER RECEIVING THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSED BUDGET IN
DECEMBER AND, OF COURSE, OUR FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS TO
DETERMINE OUR BUDGET PRIORITIES FOR THE YEAR AND OUR BUDGET
PRIORITIES WERE ALIGNED DIRECTLY WITH OUR DISTRICT'S PRIORITIES,
WHICH ARE LOCATED THERE IN YOUR PACKET, AND THOSE PRIORITIES
GUIDED OUR PLANNING AS WELL AS DOVETAILING WITH OUR FIVE-YEAR
STRATEGIC PLAN, WHICH WE'LL BE ROLLING OUT THIS SUMMER OR FALL.
ALTHOUGH AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE FACE GREAT CHALLENGES, WE HAVE
AS MANY OPPORTUNITIES AS WE DO CHALLENGES TO MAKE OUR DIVISION
A WORLD-CLASS EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT WE
ENDEAVOR TO DO. OUR STRATEGIES AND PRIORITIES WE
FEEL ARE DIRECTLY IN ALIGNMENT WITH AT LEAST THREE OUT OF THE
SIX OF THE CITY'S PRIORITIES, SPECIFICALLY ECONOMIC VITALITY,
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, LIFELONG LEARNING, SAFE, HEALTHY AND
INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES AND IT'S OUR BELIEF AND CONVICTION THAT
EVERYBODY BENEFITS FROM GRADUATION, INCREASED GRADUATION
RATES AND THAT ADDRESSING THE HIGH DROPOUT CRISIS IS A KEY
STRATEGY FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH. YEARS OF RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS THE
LINK BETWEEN EDUCATION AND THE ECONOMY, SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT
ECONOMIC VITALITY IN THE CITY, LIFELONG LEARNING, SAFE, HEALTHY
AND INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES, EDUCATING OUR CHILDREN AND
PREPARING THEM TO BE LIFELONG LEARNERS, BUILDING A FOUNDATION
FOR SUCCESS WILL CERTAINLY CONTRIBUTE TO NOT ONLY AN
ECONOMICALLY VIBRANT CITY, BUT ALSO A CITY WHOSE CITIZENS VALUE
LIFELONG LEARNING AND CERTAINLY IT WILL INCREASE THE SAFETY OF
OUR COMMUNITY. IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT WHEN YOU
OPEN A SCHOOL, YOU CLOSE A PRISON, AND SO WE BELIEVE THAT
EDUCATION IS CERTAINLY THE BEST INVESTMENT ON THE FRONT END THAT
WILL PREPARE OUR YOUNG PEOPLE TO MAKE NORFOLK A CITY OF CHOICE
FOR BUSINESSES AND CERTAINLY FOR RESIDENTS.
OUR SUPERINTENDENT WILL GIVE AN OVERVIEW, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR
BUDGET PROCESS. MORE IMPORTANTLY, ABOUT WHAT
THIS BUDGET, WE BELIEVE, WILL ACCOMPLISH FOR US AND THEN OUR
DIRECTOR OF FINANCE WILL SAY A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT OUR FACTS
AND FIGURES. DR. KING?
>> THANK YOU, DR. HOUSTON, CHAIRMAN HOUSTON.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SAY THANKS TO MAYOR FRAIM, ALSO VICE MAYOR
BURFOOT AS WELL ALWAYS TO THE COUNCIL AND THE REMAINDER OF OUR
BOARD AND ADMINISTRATION FOR BEING HERE AND FOR EVERYBODY'S
DILIGENT EFFORTS SO FAR MOVING FORWARD AND THIS WORK THAT IS OF
VITAL IMPORTANCE TO US ALL IN THIS ROOM AND BEYOND.
I'LL BEGIN WITH, I THINK, A APPROPRIATE FOCAL POINT AROUND
WHAT WE'RE DOING AND I'LL MOVE VERY QUICKLY HERE.
BUT RETAINING AN ABSOLUTE FAITH IN OUR STUDENTS IN TERMS OF WHAT
WE HAVE TO DO GOING FORWARD AND THE CHALLENGES, AND PINPOINTING
ON THE FACT THAT IT IS NONNEGOTIABLE IN THAT OUR
CHILDREN MUST PREVAIL AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND IN ORDER TO BUILD
THE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THAT TO HAPPEN, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE
APPROPRIATE RESOURCES AND VARIABLES IN PLACE TO HAVE IT
COME TO FRUITION AND AS THE QUOTE SAYS THROUGH JIM COLLINS,
GOOD TO GREAT, EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM HAS GREAT FAMILIARITY
AROUND, THE SAME ISSUES WHO CONFRONT THE MOST BRUTAL FACTS
OF OUR CURRENT REALITY, WHATEVER THEY MIGHT BE, IS THEY ARE HUGE
CHALLENGES MOVING FORWARD AS WE HAVE PROFILED OUR SYSTEM IN A
WAY THAT WE DETERMINE THE STRENGTH, THE WEAKNESSES, THE
OPPORTUNITIES, AND THREATS AROUND DOING THE WORK TO THE
POINT THAT IF YOU SEE BEFORE YOU THE CURRENT MODIFIED MISSION AND
VISION STATEMENT, AND I MENTION THIS BECAUSE THIS HAS TO BE THE
APPROPRIATE SET-UP FOR WHERE WE ARE AND WHERE WE'RE GOING,
BECAUSE AS EVERYBODY KNOWS, WHEN YOU BUILD A BUGS, YOU HAVE TO
BUILD A BUDGET AROUND AN ALIGNED PURPOSE AND AN ALIGNED VISION
BASED ON RELEVANT, PERTINENT DATA THAT'S GOING TO MEAN MOVING
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT FORWARD FOR YOUR CHILDREN.
SO BEFORE YOU, YOU WILL SEE A DRAFT OF THE NEW MISSION/VISION
STATEMENT AND I'M NOT GOING TO READ IT TO YOU STEP TO PINPOINT
THE FACT THAT IT IS IN TWO PARTS AND THIS IS REALLY THE
FOUNDATION AROUND OUR PROPOSED BUDGET.
TWO PARTS MEANING IT IS VISIONARY IN TERMS OF KNOWING
THAT WE MUST TAKE A LOOK INTO THE FUTURE AS MANY HAVE HEARD ME
SAY BEFORE AND DETERMINE THE HIGHEST ASPIRATIONS FOR OUR
ORGANIZATION AND SIMPLY BEGIN TO BUILD STRATEGIES TO TAKE US
THERE. THEREFORE, A 30-MEMBER MICROCOSM
OF THIS COMMUNITY CAME TOGETHER TO DEVELOP THE MISSION/VISION
STATEMENT THAT YOU SEE BEFORE YOU, AND THEY DETERMINED THAT
OUR VISION, WHICH MEANS OUR DREAM AND WHERE WE SHOULD GO, IS
TO MAKE THIS DIVISION THE CORNERSTONE OF A PROUDLY DIVERSE
COMMUNITY. AND THAT MEANS THAT WE'RE NOT
THERE IN THE VIEW OF THIS GROUP OF STAKEHOLDERS.
HOWEVER, WE WILL BEGIN TO BUILD STRATEGIES TO TAKE US THERE.
THUS, THE PROPOSED BUDGET THAT WE WILL HAVE SOME DISCUSSION
AROUND THIS AFTERNOON. THEY ALSO DETERMINED THAT THE
PURPOSE OF THIS SCHOOL SYSTEM HAS A TWO-PART PURPOSE.
ONE IS TO ENSURE THAT EACH CHILD IS SUCCESSFUL, TO MAXIMIZE THEIR
ACADEMIC POTENTIAL. TWO, THAT THEY MUST BE ABLE TO
CO-MING GER, THEY MUST BE ABLE TO COEXIST, THEY MUST BE ABLE TO
ENTER INTO THE IMPACT OF GROUP DYNAMICS.
THUS YOU SEE DEVELOPING SKILLS FOR LIFELONG LEARNING AND
SUCCESSFUL CONTRIBUTORS TO A GLOBAL SOCIETY.
AND YOU SEE THE MEANS BY WHICH THAT IS TO BE DETERMINED.
AGAIN, I'LL REMIND THE GROUP THAT THIS INFORMATION WAS
PINPOINTED BY THAT GROUP AND I WAS A MEMBER OF THE TEAM AND
BOARD MEMBERS SERVED AS MEMBERS OF THE TEAM AS WELL TO DEVELOP
THAT. WE ALSO HAVE GUIDING PRINCIPLES
FOR OUR BUDGET PRIORITIES. THERE ARE FIVE OF THOSE.
OF COURSE, WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT WE PROJECT, APPROPRIATELY
PROJECT THE FEDERAL, LOCAL, AND STATE REVENUE AS WELL AS
PINPOINT STUDENT ENROLLMENT EACH YEAR, WHAT ARE THE TRENDS, WHAT
DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE NUMBERS OF STUDENTS THAT WILL BE IN THE
SEAT NEXT YEAR, BUT NOT JUST NEXT YEAR, BUT GOING FORWARD AT
LEAST THREE TO FIVE YEARS AHEAD OF US, BECAUSE THAT SERVES AS
A -- CERTAINLY SERVES AS AN INDICATOR FOR OUR WORK GOING
FORWARD. AND ALIGNING MAXIMUM STAFF
EFFICIENCY, FUNDING TO BENEFIT THE CLASSROOMS.
IN OTHER WORDS, ALL THE DECISIONS SHOULD BE MADE ON THE
BEST INTERESTS OF CHILDREN. ALSO APPROPRIATELY BALANCE THE
CONNECTION BETWEEN REVENUE AND EXPENDITURES.
THAT'S A NO-BRAINER FOR US, AS WELL AS A VERY IMPORTANT
SIGNIFICANT PIECE, THAT WE MUST CONTINUE PROGRAM EVALUATION,
ONGOING PERFORMANCES AND ASSESSMENT.
ANY ITEMS OF IMPLEMENTATION TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS AND
THE EFFICIENCY OF THOSE ITEMS AS IT RELATES TO MOVING STUDENT
ACHIEVEMENT FORWARD. THAT IS ALL GOING FOR US, ALL OF
THESE THINGS SERVE AS A FRAMEWORK FOR BUILDING THIS
PARTICULAR BUDGET. LASTLY, WE KNOW THAT ANY OF OUR
ALLOCATIONS OF RESOURCES MUST BE SOLELY ALIGNED WITH THE
DISTRICT'S STRATEGIC PLAN, THE FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN THAT WE
ARE VERY CLOSE TO SEEING COMPLETE, AS WELL AS THIS YEAR'S
CURRENT PRIORITIES, SEVEN PRIORITIES THAT SERVED AS A
BLUEPRINT FOR US THIS YEAR. BEFORE YOU, YOU SEE A SNAPSHOT
OF THOSE SEVEN PRIORITIES. MANY OF YOU ARE ALREADY FAMILIAR
WITH THOSE. I'M NOT GOING TO READ THOSE TO
YOU EXCEPT TO EMPHASIZE ONE AND TWO, BECAUSE ONE AND TWO ARE OF
VITAL IMPORTANCE, BUT EACH DIVISION PRIORITY IS IMPORTANT.
YOU SEE THAT ONE AND TWO CENTERS ON FULL ACCREDITATION AND WE
HAVE BEGUN THAT WORK THIS CURRENT YEAR WITH STRATEGIC,
SPECIFIC ITEMS OF IMPLEMENTATION AND ACTION STEPS THAT HAVE BEEN
IMPORTANT FOR US TO BEGIN TO DO THE WORK AS WELL AS INCREASE
ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT. THAT'S MOVING STUDENT
ACHIEVEMENT FORWARD, INCREASING THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS THAT
MEET AND EXCEED STANDARDS. IN OTHER WORDS, TEACHING THE
CURRICULUM, THE STANDARDS OF LEARNING, AND MEASURING HOW MUCH
LEARNING IS TAKING PLACE FROM A PERFORMANCE STANDPOINT EARLY ON,
MAKING DECISIONS EARLY ON, WHICH WOULD ALLOW US TO CHANTHS
CURRENT STATUS -- CHANGE THE CURRENT STATUS OF CHILDREN EARLY
ENOUGH AND THUS YOU SEE THE SEVEN PRIORITIES THAT HAVE
REALLY GOVERNED OUR WORK THIS CURRENT SCHOOL YEAR.
I WILL SHIFT GEARS TO UPDATING YOU VERY BRIEFLY ON THE FIVE
STRATEGIES THAT HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WORKING AROUND.
WE HAVE ACTION TEAMS THAT ARE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY WORKING ON
VARIOUS BIG IDEAS THAT SURFACED FROM THESE FIVE STRATEGIES, BUT
AGAIN, THIS TEAM REPRESENTS THE COMMUNITY, THE COMMUNITY
STAKEHOLDERS, AND YOU SEE FIVE ITEMS OF IMPORTANCE FOR THE
FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT AT
THE BEGINNING OF JULY 1, WE'LL BEGIN IMPLEMENTATION OF YEAR ONE
FOR THE FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN.
THEREFORE, THE PROPOSAL THAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU AROUND THE
BUDGET IS TOTALLY ALIGNED WITH THE STRATEGIES ALONG WITH THOSE
SEVEN PRIORITIES, SO THERE IS DEFINITELY A METHOD IN THE
MADNESS FOR WHICH YOU SEE AS FAR AS ACTION STEPS.
AGAIN, YOU SEE PROMOTING THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AS A CORNERSTONE
OF OUR COMMUNITY. DIVORCE COMMUNITY.
ALSO, IT -- DIVERSE COMMUNITY. ALSO IT SPEAKS TO FACILITATING A
MEANINGFUL FAMILY AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, VERY IMPORTANT TO
HAVE THE WRAP-AROUND SERVICES. RELENTLESSLY PURSUE ENGAGED
LEARNING THROUGH HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTION, RETAINING THE VERY
BEST IN THE CLASSROOM AND THE VERY BEST BUILDING LEVEL LEADERS
AS WELL AS CLASSIFIED PERSONNEL AND HOSTING ENVIRONMENTS THAT
ARE SAFE AND SECURE. ALWAYS A PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE
AND THAT GOES WITHOUT SAYING THAT WE MUST ALWAYS KEEP A
FINGER ON THE PULSE OF A WHAT THAT MEANS AND BUILD FROM WHERE
WE ARE AND MOVE FORWARD. NURTURE A CULTURE OF EXCELLENCE
AND EQUITY AND JUSTICE THROUGH CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT.
THOSE ITEMS REALLY CAME TO THE FOREFRONT AS IT RELATES TO
PLANNING FOR A FIVE-YEAR PERIOD AS WE LOOK AT -- AS WE DETERMINE
OUR STATUS QUO AND PROJECT NEEDS FOR THE FUTURE.
THE CURRENT REALITY, HOWEVER, IS VERY IMPORTANT.
IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN, IT GIVES YOU
A PROFILE OF WHERE THIS SYSTEM IS NOW AS RELATES TO
ACCREDITATION. AND YOU HEARD US ALLUDE TO
CHALLENGES GOING FORWARD, STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES,
OPPORTUNITIES, THREATS, SO THIS BUDGET IS ALSO BUILT AROUND THE
NEEDS THAT YOU SEE HERE. HOW DO WE BEGIN TO TRANSFORM THE
SYSTEM, HOW DO WE BEGIN TO TURN THE TIDE, HOW DO WE BEGIN TO
MOVE THIS SYSTEM TOWARDS BECOMING A WORLD-CLASS SYSTEM
THAT EACH OF US WOULD WANT FOR OUR CHILDREN.
AT THIS POINT, WE HAVE 26 OUT OF 33 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS FULLY
ACCREDITED. WE HAVE TWO OUT OF SEVEN MIDDLE
SCHOOLS FULLY ACCREDITED, AND WE HAVE THREE OUT OF FIVE HIGH
SCHOOLS FULLY ACCREDITED. SO THE AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL,
79% FULLY ACCREDITED. AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL, 29%
FULLY ACCREDITED AND THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL, 60% FULLY
ACCREDITED. THAT'S A CHALLENGE GOING
FORWARD. ACADEMIC IMPROVEMENT ACTION
STEPS. SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR THIS
CURRENT YEAR? WHAT HAS HAPPENED SO THAT WE CAN
GIVE YOU A, HOPEFULLY A PERFECT SET-UP FOR THE INFORMATION
THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR COMING BEFORE US REAL SOON.
ACADEMIC IMPROVEMENT ACTION STEPS, READING, COMPREHENSION
AND WRITING. VERY IMPORTANT.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A FEW MINUTES AS WELL AS SOFTWARE
INITIATIVES THAT ARE IMPORTANT FOR THAT BECAUSE MANY OF OUR
STUDENTS ARE NOT READING ON GREAT LEVEL.
THEY'RE READING BELOW GRADE LEVEL, AND IN ORDER TO MOVE THEM
FORWARD, YOU HAVE TO PROVIDE THE NECESSARY SAFETY NETS AND
INTERVENTION. ALSO EXCEL HER RATION TO BEGIN
SEE -- ACCELERATION TO SEE THOSE STUDENTS MOVING FORWARD ON
READING AND WRITING. WE KNOW THE CHILDREN MUST READ
ON GRADE LEVEL BY THE END OF THIRD GRADE.
WE KNOW THE STATISTICS AROUND CHILDREN WHO DO NOT READ ON
GRADE LEVEL BY THE END OF THIRD AND IN MANY CASES, RESEARCH
SHOWS THAT'S HOW WE DETERMINE THE NUMBER OF PRISON CELLS WE
NEED BASED ON THAT. THAT'S NOT A PRETTY REALITY IN
TERMS OF BEING POSITIVE. HOWEVER, IT'S A GRIM REALITY
THAT IS TRUE. CURRENT CURRICULUM AND
ASSESSMENT, FULLY ALIGNED TO STATE STANDARDS, WE'RE ALSO
PINPOINTING TO ENSURE THAT WHAT WE TEACH IN THE CLASSROOM IS
ABSOLUTELY WHAT CHILDREN NEED TO KNOW AND BE ABLE TO DO,
MECHANISM IS IN PLACE FOR THAT NOW AND THAT LAST BULLET REALLY
POINTS THAT. THE RESULTS, WE'VE BEGUN
IMPLEMENTATION THIS YEAR. WE ALSO HAVE BEGUN THE PROVISION
OF SAFETY NETS AND ENRICHMENT, NOT ONLY MOVING STUDENTS
STRUGGLING FORWARD ON STANDARD AND TO EXCEEDING, BUT ALSO
REALLY PINPOINTING THOSE STUDENTS ALREADY ON STANDARD AND
EXCEEDING AND BEGINNING TO PROVIDE ENRICHMENT TO MOVE THOSE
STUDENTS FORWARD AS WELL, SO THE ENTIRE SPECTRUM IS IMPORTANT TO
US, EACH CHILD, NO MATTER WHERE THEY ARE AT PRESENT.
IMPROVING STAFF DEVELOPMENT SO THAT PEOPLE THAT NEED TO MAKE
DECISIONS AROUND CHILDREN KNOW WHAT TO DO AT WHAT PERIOD OF
TIME AND THAT THEY GET BETTER AND BETTER EACH DAY, FOCUSED.
NEXT, THERE'S JUST A QUICK VIEW OF WHAT THAT CYCLE FOR RESULTS
MEANS AND I'LL JUST DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THE FIVE QUESTIONS
OF IMPORTANCE TO THE LEFT. THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE
WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE BUSINESS OF THE CLASSROOM.
HOW MUCH LEARNING IS TAKING PLACE, ARE THERE APPROPRIATE
STANDARDS BEING TAUGHT AND ROLLED OUT.
IF THEY ARE, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE STUDENTS MASTERED THE
STANDARDS, INTERNALIZE THE STANDARDS AND ACTUALLY EXCEL AND
WHAT DID WE DO WHEN CHILDREN DID NOT LEARN, WHAT TYPE OF SAFETY
NETS DID WE PROVIDE, WHAT DID WE DO WHEN CHILDREN EXCELLED, WHAT
TYPE OF ENRICHMENT DID WE PROVIDE.
WHAT DOES THE TEACHER DO WHEN STUDENTS ARE PERFORMING BEYOND
EXPECTATION AND HOW DO WE KNOW? THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WERE
IMPORTANT FOR THIS CURRENT SCHOOL YEAR AND CONTINUE TO BE
IMPORTANT FOR US. SO WHAT IS THE SNAPSHOTS AROUND
THIS CURRENT SCHOOL YEAR THAT REALLY PROVIDED THE INITIAL
INTRO FOR US IN THE BUILDING OF THIS BUDGET?
HOW WELL HAVE CHILDREN PERFORMED FROM A FORMATIVE STANDPOINT THIS
CURRENT YEAR? WE'RE NOT AT THE SUMMATIVE
STANDPOINT, WE DON'T HAVE RESULTS AS OF YET, BUT WE HAVE
BENCHMARKS THAT ARE ALIGNED TO THE CURRICULUM AND THOSE ARE
DESIGNED TO GIVE US A SNAPSHOT. ALSO, COMMON FORMATIVE
ASSESSMENTS THAT TEACHERS DEVELOP ARE ALIGNED TO GIVE US A
SNAPSHOT AROUND HOW WELL CHILDREN ARE PERFORMING.
YOU CAN SAY FROM A SNAPSHOT STANDPOINT THAT THE PERCENTAGE
OF STUDENTS IN THE CURRENT YEAR THAT TESTED PROFICIENT IN THIRD
GRADE EARLIER WAS ONLY AT 38%, SO THAT ALLOWS TO US GO BACK,
TAKE A LOOK AT EACH CHILD AS AN INDIVIDUAL, WHAT ARE THOSE
DOMAINS OF IMPORTANCE, WHAT ARE THOSE DOMAINS OF CHALLENGE, WHAT
ARE THOSE DOMAINS THAT WERE POSITIVE AND ADVANTAGEOUS, AND
SO BY DOING SO, PROVIDING THE SAFETY NET, CLOSING THE GAP
AROUND THE DEFICIENT AREAS OF CHILDREN, ALLOWING THE SAME TYPE
OF ASSESSMENT, READING MOVED TO 62%.
THAT IS PROGRESS AND I HOPE EVERYONE CAN REALLY SEE AND
GLEAN FROM THIS THAT THE CHALLENGE CONTINUES.
ALTHOUGH THAT'S PROGRESS, WE STILL HAVE MUCH TO DO TO BE ABLE
TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES THAT WE NEED FOR THE CHILDREN TO MOVE
THEM TO THE POINT OF BEING ABLE TO COMPETE GLOBALLY AND ALSO TO
BEGIN TO MOVE THE SYSTEM FORWARD AT THE LEVEL THAT'S APPROPRIATE
TO BECOME WORLD-CLASS. PERCENTAGE TESTING PROFICIENT IN
ALGEBRA, WE MOVE FROM ELEMENTARY TO A SNAPSHOT OF WHERE WE ARE
SECONDARY WISE. DURING QUARTER ONE, 18% OF OUR
STUDENTS, BASED ON THE CURRICULUM THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN
TAUGHT, ONLY 18% TESTED PROFICIENT EARLY ON.
THAT SNAPSHOT IS IMPORTANT. IT DOESN'T MEAN THE BALL GAME IS
OVER WHEN YOU SEE THAT, BUT KNOWING IT EARLY MEANS WE CAN
SHIFT GEARS AND PROVIDE SAFETY NETS AND YOU PROVIDE A SAFETY
NET, THAT MEANS MORE TIME, MORE RESOURCES, THAT MEANS MORE OF
HUMANISTIC APPROACHES AS IT RELATES TO WHAT WE DO FOR OUR
STUDENTS AND OUR STAFF AS WELL, BUT QUARTER ONE, 18%.
QUARTER TWO, WE MOVE TO 44%, SO THAT'S GROWTH AND PROGRESS.
HOWEVER, 44% IS NOT WHAT IT NEEDS TO BE, ALTHOUGH THIS IS
PROGRESS, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE FEEL WE NEED TO BRAG
ABOUT AND WE'RE NOT DOING SO. WE KNOW WE SEE INCREMENTAL
GROWTH AND IMPROVEMENT HERE, SO WE ALSO KNOW -- KNEW THAT WE HAD
TO BEGIN TO WORK OVERHAULING THE GIFTED EDUCATION PROGRAM AND WE
HAVE DONE SO AND WE WILL HAVE OTHER STUDENTS, ADDITIONAL
STUDENTS IDENTIFIED FOR GIFTED SERVICES THAT QUALIFY THROUGH
THE RIGOROUS STANDARDS THAT ARE OUT THERE, BECAUSE WE KNOW WE
HAVE MANY ADDITIONAL STUDENTS IN OUR SCHOOL DIVISION NOW THAT ARE
NOT RECEIVING GIFTED SERVICES THAT SHOULD.
SO THAT IS THE ENRICHMENT SUPPORT.
I TRAU YOUR ATTENTION NOW -- DRAW YOUR ATTENTION NOW TO
BRINGING US CURRENT TO THE PROPOSED 2013-2014 BUDGETARY
HIGHLIGHTS. I WILL SAY TO YOU THAT THE
PROPOSED 2013-14 BUDGET IS DESIGNED TO POSITION OUR
DIVISION TO BEGIN THE WORK OF MOVING FORWARD.
IT IS DESIGNED TO PRESENT TO ALL OF US A PLATFORM THAT IS
ADVANTAGEOUS TO OUR CHILDREN AND OUR STAFF IN A WAY THAT IT
ALLOWS US TO BEGIN THE WORK MOVING THE SYSTEM TO BECOME
WORLD-CLASS IN TERMS OF HOW WE PREPARE OUR CHILDREN TO BE
COLLEGE AND CAREER READY. THEREFORE, YOU SEE ON THIS FIRST
SCREEN FOUR ITEMS THAT YOU WILL SEE -- THAT SHOULD REALLY
SURFACE IN THE CURRENT BUDGET AND ALSO THE OUTCOMES.
IF YOU FOCUS ON NOTHING MORE THAN THE OUTCOMES, I THINK YOU
GET THE JOB DONE BECAUSE IN ITEM NUMBER ONE, IT SAYS LITERACY AND
NUMERACY COACHES. WE SAW THE FIGURES AND THAT'S
THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT. YOU SEE THAT WE HAVE ANTICIPATED
OUTCOMES FOR NEXT YEAR AND WHAT WOULD THIS GLEAN AND GARNER FOR
US IF WE HAD THIS IN PLACE? IT IS OUR EXPECTATION THAT WE
OUGHT TO SEE AT MINIMUM A 10% INCREASE IN THE PERCENTAGE OF
STUDENTS THAT WILL IMMEDIATE AND EXCEED STANDARDS BY IMPLEMENTING
RESEARCH-BASED STRATEGIES BY HAVING THOSE THINGS IN PLACE.
ALSO EFFECTIVENESS IN IMPLEMENTING OUR CYCLE AS WELL
AS THE JOB FOR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING FOR ADMINISTRATORS, FOR
TEACHERS AS WELL AS CLASS SIZE. SECONDLY, SUSTAINING CLASS SIZE
INITIATIVE, VERY IMPORTANT WE MAINTAIN THE KIND OF STRUCTURE
AND CLIMATE IN THE CLASSROOM THAT WILL BE CONDUCIVE TO
LEARNING AND YOU SEE THE OUTCOMES THAT SHOULD ALLOW THE
OUTCOMES WE SHARE BY DOING SO, SO YOU SEE THOSE THINGS IN PLACE
IN THE CURRENT PROPOSAL. MAXIMIZING OPPORTUNITIES FOR
STUDENT AND TEACHER ENGAGEMENT. SIMPLY PUT, MAKING THE TEACHER
THE FACILITATOR OF PROVIDING A STRUCTURE, WHICH IS WHAT SHOULD
BE DONE ON THE CLASSROOM BECAUSE YOU ALLOW MORE ONE-ON-ONE
SERVICES FOR CHILDREN THAT NEED IT, ENRICHMENT AS WELL AS
REMEDIATION OR SAFETY NET. PROVIDING ADDITIONAL SAFETY
NETS, YOU SEE THE OUTCOME TO THE RIGHT, IMPROVING CLIMATE AND
SAFETY IN SCHOOLS AND THAT'S A NO-BRAINER AND NON-NEGOTIABLE.
DECREASING OUT OF SCHOOL SUSPENSION.
IF WE DON'T HAVE THE STUDENTS WITH THEM, WE CAN'T TEACH THEM,
SO WHAT ARE THOSE ALTERNATIVES AND HOW DO WE FUND THAT?
AND ALSO A PART OF THE HIGHLIGHTS WILL BE ITEM FIESKS
INCREASING ACADEMIC RIGOR. NOT ONLY ARE WE CONCERNED WITH
SAFETY NETS AND MOVING STUDENTS THAT ARE STRUGGLING TO ON
STANDARD, BUT WE'RE ALSO EXTREMELY CONCERNED WITH THOSE
STUDENTS THAT ALREADY ON AND MOVING THOSE STUDENT STOP A
HIGHER LEVEL OF LEARNING AND HAVE THEM EXCEED THE STANDARDS
AS WELL AS THOSE STUDENTS ALREADY CLASSIFIED AS GIFTED,
AND HOW DO WE MEET THE NEEDS OF THOSE CHILDREN.
THEREFORE, WITHIN THIS PROPOSAL, YOU FIND THOSE THINGS ARE THERE
AND ARE OF EXTREME IMPORTANCE AS WELL.
YOU SEE A 10% INCREASE IN THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS
EXCEEDING, NOT JUST MEETING, BUT EXCEEDING, AND ALSO IMPROVING
CLIMATE AND JOB INCENTIVE AS WELL.
AP COURSES, ADVANCED PLACEMENT OPPORTUNITIES, HAVING MORE
OPPORTUNITIES BOTH FOR THOSE CHILDREN THAT QUALIFY BECAUSE WE
HAVE DONE THE STUDIES AND WE KNOW THAT BASED ON OUR PSAT
INDICATORS, THAT WE HAVE MORE CHILDREN THAT QUALIFY FOR
ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSE WORK THAT DO NOT RECEIVE IT AT THIS
POINT. THAT MEANS WE NEED ADDITIONAL
TRAINING FOR TEACHERS TO BE ADVANCED PLACEMENT ENDORSED AS
WELL AS ADDITIONAL TIME FOR THOSE CHILDREN TO RECEIVE THOSE
SERVICES. RECENT TECHNOLOGY, I WILL SAY
THAT ALL OF THE ASSESSMENTS, AS I'M SURE YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE
SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENTS AT THIS POINT ARE REQUIRED TO BE GIVEN
TO STUDENTS ONLINE. THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE
VOLUNTEERED TO DO. IT'S A STATE REQUIREMENT, SO IF
STUDENTS ARE GOING TO BE REQUIRED TO TAKE SUMMATIVE
ASSESSMENTS ONLINE, THEN WE HAVE TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO
PREPARE THEM FOR SUCH ASSESSMENT AND IN MANY CASES, THERE WERE
MANY EXAMPLES WHERE OUR SCHOOLS COULD NOT HOUSE THAT FROM AN
INFRASTRUCTURE STANDPOINT, SO WE'VE BEGUN TO MAKE THOSE
CHANGES. ATTRACTING AND RETAINING HIGHLY
QUALIFIED STAFF, VERY IMPORTANT. WE ARE WORKING -- WE WANT TO
MOVE TO 100% HIGHLY QUALIFIED. WE'RE AT 99% AT THIS POINT.
DECREASE STAFF TURNOVER, SUPPORTING PROFESSIONAL
LEARNING. 2% RAISE INCREASE, ONGOING
CLIMATE ANALYSES AND CONTINUED STAFF RECOGNITION.
THE SCHOOL BOARD'S BUDGET PLAN SUPPORTS THE IMPROVEMENT OF
LITERACY FOR ALL STUDENTS AND ANY INTERVENTION FROM A SOFTWARE
STANDPOINT TO ALLOW US TO MOVE THAT FORWARD, BUT ALSO SUPPORTS
IMPROVING THE WRITING INITIATIVE AND THE NECESSARY INTERVENTION
FROM A TECHNOLOGY STANDPOINT THAT'S IMPORTANT TO DO THAT, AS
WELL AS IMPLEMENTATION AND UTILIZATION OF BENCHMARKING.
YOU HEARD SOME EXAMPLES OF THAT EARLIER, BUT WE MUST DO MORE OF
THAT FROM COMMON FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS AS WELL AS
BENCHMARKS THAT COME FROM OTHER LEVELS TO MEASURE STUDENT
PERFORMANCE AND PROGRESS SO WE CAN MAKE REALTIME DECISIONS
EARLY ON IN A PROACTIVE MANNER TO PLUG THE DEFICIENCIES THAT WE
KNOW CHILDREN HAVE THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR BEFORE THE
SUMMATIVE STANDPOINT. IMPLEMENTATION OF GRADE 7 AND
CROSSROADS, OF COURSE, WE HAVE TO MOVE THOSE STUDENTS UP, SO
EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS WHAT THAT MEANS.
ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO OFFSET THE SCHOOL SYSTEM'S SHARE OF
PROJECTED 8.2 INCREASE IN HEALTH INSURANCE IS PART OF THAT.
I WILL MENTION TO YOU, TOO, THAT THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, OUR
STUDY TO BUILD THIS PROPOSED BUDGET CENTERED AROUND
IMPLICATIONS FOR CONSOLIDATING AND/OR CLOSING SCHOOLS.
ALSO, IMPLICATIONS AROUND THE CPD HIGH SCHOOL COMPREHENSIVE
TECHNICAL ACADEMY AND REZONING POTENTIAL THAT COULD COME INTO
PLAY WITH THAT. ALSO CHOICE IMPLICATIONS WITH
COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS AROUND WHAT CHOICE MEANS THROUGHOUT THE
CITY OF NORFOLK AS WELL AS REDUCING THE NUMBER OF HIGH
POVERTY SCHOOLS ACROSS THE DIVISION AND WORKING ON THE
SAYING THAT SUMMATIVE PLAYS WITH THAT TYPE OF WORK BEING DONE.
THE WAY THAT THAT WAS PRESENTED THROUGHOUT THIS CURRENT BUDGET
WAS AT THE LEVEL WHERE WE HAVE AN RPF THAT IS ALREADY OUT TO
SECURE A DEMOGRAPHER TO TAKE A LOOK AT ALL OF THOSE VARIABLES
THAT WOULD COME INTO PLAY AROUND SCHOOL CAPACITY, SIZE OF
SCHOOLS, CURRENT NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN THOSE SCHOOLS, WHAT
WOULD IT MEAN TO REZONE, TO SECURE CPE HIGH SCHOOLS ONCE WE
GET TO THAT POINT, IMPLICATIONS FOR THE COMMUNITY CONVERSATION,
SO WE EXPECT A COMPREHENSIVE REPORT AROUND ALL THE VARIABLES
THAT ARE IMPORTANT FOR US TO BEGIN TO DO THE WORK OF
TRANSFORMING THE SYSTEM AND MOVING US FORWARD.
WITH THAT SAID, I WOULD REFER TO DR. THORNTON TO GO FORWARD TO
GIVE SOME BRIEF REMARKS AROUND THE NUTS AND BOLTS AND BOTTOM
LINE NUMBERS AS RELATES TO THIS BUDGET.
>> THANKS. MAYOR FRAIM, COUNCIL MEMBERS,
MR. JONES, GOOD AFTERNOON. AS DR. KING INDICATED, I WILL
PROVIDE YOU SOME VERY BRIEF SUMMARY AND OVERVIEW OF THE
SCHOOL BOARD APPROVED OPERATING BUDGET FOR 2013-2014.
AS YOU KNOW, THE SCHOOL BOARD APPROVED BUDGET FOR 2013-14
TOTAL $308.8 MILLION. THIS REPRESENTS A NET INCREASE
OF $3.4 MILLION, 1.1% WHEN COMPARED TO THE CURRENT YEAR'S
AMENDED BUDGET OF $305.4 MILLION.
IN TERMS OF THE MAJOR REVENUE SOURCES, THIS PLAN WOULD REQUEST
$114.4 MILLION FROM THE COUNCIL, LOCAL SUPPORT FOR NEXT YEAR,
WHICH REPRESENTS A $7.3 MILLION OR 6.8% INCREASE OVER CURRENT
YEAR IN LOCAL FUNDING. THIS PLAN ALSO, AS YOU KNOW, THE
LAST SEVENAL YEARS, THE STATE HAS NOT PROVIDED ITS LEVEL OF
INVESTMENT THAT IT IS NEITHER REQUIRED TO AND THIS PARTICULAR
REQUEST INDICATES THAT THE STATE WOULD PROVIDE JUST UNDER
$600,000 IN ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR NEXT YEAR, WHICH IS 0.3%.
IN TERMS OF ADDITIONAL REVENUES, THIS PROPOSAL INCLUDES
$5.4 MILLION IN PROJECTED CARRY-FORWARD FUNDS.
THIS ACTUALLY REPRESENTS A $4 MILLION DECREASE WHEN
COMPARED TO THE LEVEL OF RELIANCE ON THOSE ONE-TIME
REVENUE SOURCES IN THE CURRENT YEAR BUDGET.
THE SCHOOL BOARD UNDERSTANDS THE IMPORTANCE OF BRINGING
STRUCTURAL BALANCE BACK TO ITS OPERATING BUDGET AND IN DOING
SO, IT IS REDUCING ITS DEPENDENCY ON THOSE
NON-RECURRING REVENUE SOURCES BY, AGAIN, $4.1 MILLION.
THE SCHOOL BOARD IS DOING THIS BECAUSE IT RECOGNIZES THAT
CARRY-FORWARD FUNDING IS NOT A LONG-TERM FISCAL STRATEGY, BUT
ALSO PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY TO MITIGATE ADDITIONAL LOSSES AS WE
GOO FORWARD. SO AGAIN, OPERATING REVENUE, A
$3.4 MILLION INCREASE, JUST OVER A ONE PERCENT INCREASE COMPARED
TO THE CURRENT YEAR AND YOU HAVE A SUMMARY OF THE PROPOSED
EXPENDITURES BY MAJOR PROGRAM CATEGORY IF YOU WERE TO LOOK AT
ALL THE AREAS INCLUDING STRUCTURAL SUPPORT RIGHT NOW
THROUGH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, 97% OF TOTAL FUNDING DIRECTLY
IMPACTS CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION ON A DAILY BASIS FROM THE TIME THAT
WE PICK CHILDREN UP AND SUPPORT THEM SAFELY TO SCHOOLS TO THE
TIME AT THE END OF THE DAY AFTER THEIR ACTIVITIES AND WE
TRANSPORT THEM AGAIN SAFELY AND EFFICIENTLY BACK HOME.
THIS NEXT SLIDE PROVIDES AN OUTLINE OF HOW THIS BALANCED
BUDGET WOULD PROVIDE THAT, CONSIDERING THAT OUR BASE
REVENUES FOR NEXT YEAR TOTAL $296.2 MILLION, COMPARED TO OUR
CURRENT BASIC EXPENDITURE BUDGET OF $305.4 MILLION, THE SCHOOL
BOARD UNDERSTOOD THAT IT NEEDS TO MAKE SOME VERY DIFFICULT
DECISIONS TO ALIGN WITH ITS PRIORITIES, STRATEGIES AND GOALS
AS WE GO FORWARD, AND AMONG THEM, DR. KING HAS SHARED AND I
WILL NOT GO INTO DETAIL, BUT IT ALSO INCLUDES PROVIDING ONE
READING AND MATH SPECIALIST AT EACH OF OUR ELEMENTARY AND
MIDDLE SCHOOLS GOING FORWARD. IT ALSO INCLUDES OTHER
INITIATIVES RELATED TO COMPENSATION, TRYING TO MITIGATE
THE ONGOING RISING COST OF HEALTH INSURANCE FOR OUR
EMPLOYEES, 8.2% OF THIS IS PART OF THE CONSORTIUM WITH THE CITY
AND THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AS WELL.
AND AGAIN, OUR BEGINNING BUDGET GAP WHERE OUR PROJECTED
EXPENDITURES EXCEED PROJECTED BASE REVENUES, $23.1 MILLION
BEFORE ANY ADJUSTMENTS OR REDUCTIONS, AND THIS NEXT SLIDE
PROVIDES AN OUTLINE OF THOSE BUDGET BALANCING STRATEGIES TO
INCLUDE A REDUCTION IN NON-SCHOOL-BASED OPERATING
BUDGETS TOTALLY 2.6 MILLION AS WELL AS ELIMINATION OF ONE-TIME
EXPENDITURES FUNDED WITH PRIOR YEAR CARRY-FORWARD F
1.9 MILLION, THE REDUCTION OF 45 NON-SCHOOL-BASED STAFF
POSITIONS, INCLUDING ADMINISTRATIVE POSITIONS AS WELL
AS ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT POSITIONS IN CENTRAL OFFICE
TOTALING $2.5 MILLION AND A REDUCTION OF OUR BASE OPERATING
COSTS BASED ON RECENT HISTORICAL TRENDS AND UTILITIES, WORKERS
COMPENSATION COSTS AND PART-TIME SUBSTITUTE EXPENDITURES OF
$2.5 MILLION AND THE FINAL TWO BUDGET BALANCING STRATEGIES, WE
WILL AGAIN EMPLOY A RETIREMENT INCENTIVE OFFERING TO OUR
ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES THAT WE BELIEVE WILL RESULT IN A
$1.1 MILLION REDUCTION IN OUR COMPENSATION BASE GOING FORWARD
AND, FINALLY, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THE REAPPROPRIATION OF
PROJECTED $5.4 MILLION IN STATE CONTRIBUTION REALIZED THIS YEAR
THAT WOULD BE CARRY-FORWARD REVENUE NEXT YEAR, AGAIN
CREATING A BALANCED BUDGET BASED ON AN ADDITIONAL LOCAL SUPPORT
OF $7.3 MILLION FROM THE CITY COUNCIL AND THEN BRINGING THE
TOTAL OPERATING BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR AS AP PROVED BY THE SCHOOL
BOARD ON MARCH 26th, OF $302.8 MILLION.
WE RECOGNIZE AS YOU ALL DO THAT THIS REPRESENTS ONE YEAR IN OUR
PLANNING, FISCAL PLANNING AND WE KNOW WE HAVE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
AND CHALLENGES. OF THOSE, WE HAVE OUTLINED HERE,
CONTINUED IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN,
INCREASED XNTIONS FOR STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND TEACHER/STAFF
PERFORMANCE AND ALSO THE IMPLICATIONS OF SEE
SEQUESTRATION, WHICH TO DATE WE DO NOT KNOW THE SPECIFIC
DETAILS, BUT WE KNOW IT WILL HAVE AN IMPACT ON US GOING
FORWARD AND ALSO THE RISING COST OF EMPLOYEE BENEFITS SPECIFIC TO
THE VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEM AS WELL AS HEALTH INSURANCE
COSTS AND MAINTAINING A COMPETITIVE POSITION IN THE
REGIONAL EMPLOYMENT MARKET AS THE CITY MANAGER MENTIONED IN
HIS PRESENTATION AND, OF COURSE, AGAIN, JUST CONTINUING THE USE
OF NON-RECURRING FUNDING SOURCES TO AGAIN BRING BACK MORE
STRUCTURAL BALANCE TO THE SCHOOL BOARD'S BUDGET.
DR. KING. >> AND AGAIN, THESE THINGS ARE
BUILT AROUND A VERY IMPORTANT NOTION THAT WE REALIZE THAT WE
HAVE TO MAKE THE BOLD DECISIONS AND DO THE WORK IN A WAY THAT IT
WILL ALLOW US TO BEGIN TO TRANSFORM THE SYSTEM TO POSITION
OURSELVES FOR 2013-14, TO BE ABLE TO BEGIN THE WORK OF MOVING
THE SYSTEM FORWARD IN A DIRECTION THAT WILL ALLOW US TO
BECOME WORLD-CLASS. SO OVERCOMING CHALLENGES WILL
REQUIRE, OF COURSE, TIME. IT WILL ALSO REQUIRE RESOURCES,
COURAGE, AND COMMITMENT, AND SIMPLY PUT, WE'RE THE THIRD
LARGEST AS IT RELATES TO STUDENT ENROLLMENT AMONG FIVE DIVISIONS
IN SOUTH HAMPTON ROADS. ALSO, OUR FREE REDUCED LUNCH
RATE IS AT APPROXIMATELY 67%. THAT'S 67% OF OUR STUDENTS
QUALIFY AND CLASSIFY AS ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED.
THAT, BY THE WAY, IS THE HIGHEST IN SOUTH HAMPTON ROADS.
IT EXCEEDS THE AVERAGE BY 18 PERCENTAGE POINTS.
I ONLY MENTION THAT, NOT BECAUSE THAT IS A VARIABLE THAT SHOULD
PREVENT MOVING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT FORWARD.
HOWEVER, I MENTION IT BECAUSE IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AS WE
PLAN TO MOVE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT FORWARD AND AS WE PLAN AROUND
OUR STRATEGIC PROCESS. THE AVERAGE PROPERTY RATE IN
SOUTH HAMPTON ROADS IS 47%, IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 47%.
WE'RE AT 67% AND FLUCTUATING IN TERMS OF THAT PIECE.
PER-PUPIL EXPENDITURE AT THIS POINT, WE'RE THE SECOND LOWEST
IN THE TOTAL PER-PUPIL EXPENDITURE IN SOUTH HAMPTON
ROADS. ALSO, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW THAT'S
THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT'S SPENT PER CHILD AND WE KNOW THAT
THROUGHOUT THE STATE AS WE DO THE WORK OF BUILDING OUR BUDGET.
AVERAGE TEACHER SALARIES, WE KNOW WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO
RETAIN, ATTRACT AND SUPPORT, PROMOTE, BUILD, AND DEVELOP THE
VERY BEST AS RELATES TO CLASSIFIED AND CERTIFIED
PERSONNEL. AT THIS POINT, WE'RE THE SECOND
LOWEST IN THE SOUTH HAMPTON ROADS AREA FOR AVERAGE TEACHER
SALARIES. WE TRAIL THE STATEWIDE AVERAGE
BY ABOUT $3,000. WE TRAIL CHESAPEAKE AND VIRGINIA
BEACH BY ABOUT $5,000 A YEAR. OF COURSE, IT GOES WITHOUT
SAYING, THE CHANGES IN REVENUE HAS RELATES TO THE STATE AND THE
REDUCTIONS THAT ARE THERE, BUT I ONLY MENTION THAT BECAUSE ARE
THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO FACTOR IN AS WE CONSIDER IT A
NON-NEGOTIABLE IN TERMS OF BUILDING A PRODUCT THAT IS GOING
TO ALLOW US TO BEGIN THE WORK THAT IS NECESSARY FOR OUR 34,000
STUDENTS IF WE INCLUDE PRE-K AND EARLY LEARNING.
WITH THAT, I WILL CONCLUDE AND ASK DR. HOUSTON TO OFFER
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS. >> THANK YOU, DR. KING AND
DR. THORNTON. I KNOW THIS IS A LOT OF
INFORMATION THAT YOU RECEIVED IN PRESENTATION TODAY, BUT WE THINK
THAT IT'S IMPORTANT CONTEXTUAL INFORMATION TO REALLY CONSIDER
EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE TO CONSIDER AS WE PLAN OUR BUDGET,
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT, TWO THINGS
THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT AND I'LL SAY THIS AND TURN IT BACK
OVER TO YOU, MAYOR FRAIM. ONE, WE HAD TO ASK THE QUESTION,
DOES THE BUDGET SUPPORT AND ADVANCE THE DISTRICT'S
PRIORITIES AND IF SO, HOW. THEN, DOES THE BUDGET MOVE US
FORWARD IN THE DIRECTION OF OUR FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN SO WE
CAN ADDRESS THE AREAS OF WEAKNESS, OF THOSE STUDENTS THAT
ARE PERFORMING BELOW GRADE LEVEL, THOSE SCHOOLS THAT ARE
NOT FULLY ACCREDITED AND DOES IT ALSO PROVIDE US THE OPPORTUNITY
TO CONTINUE PROVIDING ENRICHMENT AND EXPANDED OPPORTUNITIES FOR
OUR CHILDREN TO HAVE AN EDUCATION THAT PREPARES THEM TO
COMPETE IN A GLOBAL SOCIETY. AND SO WE HAD TO LOOK AND MAKE
SURE THAT THE USE OF OUR RESOURCES ARE SPECIFICALLY
ALIGNED WITH OUR PRIORITIES AND WITH OUR STRATEGIC PLAN AND TO
BE QUITE HONEST WITH YOU, WHAT WE FOUND IS THAT THIS REALLY
JUST SCRATCHES THE SURFACE. BUT IT WAS -- IT IS EXTREMELY
IMPORTANT TO US THAT WE ARE ABLE TO ADVANCE THE CAUSE AND MOVE
THE DISTRICT FORWARD WITH THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE, HOW WE
ALIGN THEM AND UTILIZE THEM. WITH THAT, THANK YOU AGAIN,
DR. KING. >> LET ME ASK ONE PREFATORY
QUESTION AND I ASKED OUR MANAGER THE SAME THING, SO THIS ISN'T --
ALL THE NUMBERS THAT YOU'VE GIVEN, ARE THEY AS CURRENT --
THERE ARE NO ADDITIONAL STATE FUNDS THAT YOU'RE AWARE OF,
FEDERAL FUNDS HOLDING FIRM OR GOING DOWN?
>> RIGHT NOW, WE'RE ASSUMING THAT FEDERAL FUNDS WILL REMAIN
THE SAME. WE DO NOT KNOW FROM THE
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WHAT SEQUESTRATION IS GOING TO DO
GOING FORWARD. >> INSURANCE COSTS, MR. MANAGER,
YOU SAID THAT YOU -- YOU SAID 8%.
IS IT 8.2 OR -- I KNOW WHEN YOU BUILT YOUR ORIGINAL BUDGET,
DR. KING, YOU WERE LOOKING AT A 10.6% INCREASE.
>> RIGHT. >> IS IT 8 OR 8.2 NOW?
>> IT'S 8.2. >> OKAY, SO THAT'S -- ROLLOVER
FUNDS. I KNOW YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT
BEING STRUCTURALLY BALANCED, WE ALL APPRECIATE, THAT WE HAVE THE
SAME CONCERN. IS THERE ANY INCREASE THERE?
AND THAT SOMETIMES CHANGES ALMOST DAILY BECAUSE LAST YEAR
YOU WERE UP 9 MILLION. >> WHAT WE HAVE PROVIDED IS WHAT
OUR PROJECTIONS ARE BASED THROUGH THE FISCAL QUARTER THE
CURRENT YEAR. WE MIGHT ACHIEVE SOME VERY
NOMINAL INCREASES BEYOND THAT, BUT AS I SHARED WITH OUR BOARD,
WHAT WE DON'T WANT TO DO IS ROLL THE FISCAL YEAR UPON FUNDS
(INAUDIBLE). >> MARCUS SAID THE SAME THING TO
US UPSTAIRS IN HIS BUDGET MESSAGE.
>> SO IT'S CONSISTENT WITH HIS? >> YES.
>> I'LL STOP RIGHT THERE. >> THE CATEGORY "OTHER" FOR
REVENUE IS FLAT. WAS IT FLAT A YEAR AGO AS WELL
OR DOES IT HAVE SOME INCREASE? AND "OTHER" WOULD BE FUNDS YOU
GENERATE YOURSELVES THROUGH FEES AND -- I MEAN, DO YOU REALLY
EXPECT IT TO BE FLAT? >> LAST YEAR, IT WAS INCREASED.
WE'VE GOT SOME AREAS WHERE WE ANTICIPATE SOME INCREASES, BUT
WE ALSO, AGAIN, WE HAVE OUR INDIRECT COSTS AS DIRECTLY
RELATED TO OUR FEDERAL GRANTS AND SEQUESTRATION COULD ALSO
IMPACT THAT NUMBER, BUT WE THINK ON THE WHOLE, IT'S GOING TO BE
PRETTY LEVEL WHERE IT IS THIS YEAR.
>> FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, I WAS IN WASHINGTON ALL DAY YESTERDAY,
AND AT THE PENTAGON AND ONE OF THE CONVERSATIONS WAS ABOUT
SEQUESTRATION AND EVERYBODY UP THERE IS BUILDING THEIR BUDGETS
AROUND THE FACT THAT THEY DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO REALLY
OCCUR. IF IT DOES, THEN EVERYBODY FALLS
OFF THE CLIFF, BUT ALL THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW,
SPENDING IS REALLY PRETTY -- THEY THINK THEY'RE GOING TO FIX
SEQUESTRATION. THEN THEY STEP BACK AND SAY, OF
COURSE, IF THEY DON'T, WE'RE IN A HORRIBLE PLACE, SO I HOPE
WE'LL BE ABLE TO BE OKAY, BUT I JUST WANTED TO GET SOME UPDATED
INFORMATION. ANY QUESTIONS FROM ANY MEMBERS
OF THE COUNCIL, YOU WANT TO GET STARTED?
>> RIGHT HERE. I THINK THE FIRST THING I WANT
TO SAY IS THAT THE LAST TIME YOU WERE HERE WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD,
YOU PAINTED THIS ROSY PICTURE AND TWO DAYS LATER, THERE WAS A
NEWSPAPER ARTICLE THAT SHOWED THAT OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT WAS IN
SHAMBLES IN TERMS OF THE SUCCESS AND IT'S INFORMATION THAT YOU
HAD THREE OR FOUR MONTHS BEFORE IT WAS PUBLISHED IN THE
NEWSPAPER. AND I HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO
CALL YOU OUT, BUT I WAS EXTREMELY UPSET THAT YOU SAT
HERE AND GAVE US THIS ROSY PICTURE, BUT YOU HAD THE
INFORMATION FROM THE STATE SHOWING WHAT WE REALLY WERE.
DR. KING, YOU HAD JUST GOTTEN HERE, SO YOU'RE NOT -- THEY HAD
THE INFORMATION, I GUESS A COUPLE MONTHS BEFORE YOU GOT
HERE, BUT I'M SURE THEY SHARED IT WITH YOU AND I WAS GOING IS
TO THAT I WAS UPSET THAT YOU SAT HERE WITH THIS INFORMATION AND
WE HAD TO FIND OUT ABOUT IT IN THE NEWSPAPER.
ONE OF THE THINGS SINCE I'VE BEEN A MEMBER OF COUNCIL, THAT
IS WE SELL THE CITY MANAGER THAT WE DON'T WANT TO LEARN -- FINE
OUS WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE NEWSPAPER.
SO I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU THAT FIRST.
BUT IN REGARD TO THE SUCCESS OF OUR CHILDREN AND I KNOW WE'RE
TALKING BUDGET ISSUES, I STRONGLY BELIEVE AND ALWAYS HAVE
THAT EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, YOU KNOW, IS THE KEY, AND OUR
LAST TWO GOVERNORS FELT THE SAME WAY, BUT THEY DID NOT PUT ANY
MONEY IN BUDGET TO BUILD CENTERS THAT ARE DEDICATED FOR EARLY
CHILDHOOD EDUCATION. AND SOMEHOW, YOU KNOW, IN OUR
EFFORTS TO BUILD NEW SCHOOLS, WE NEED AT LEAST TWO MORE SCHOOLS
THAT ARE DEDICATED TO EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, WHETHER WE
BUILD THEM OR WHETHER WE RENOVATE A SCHOOL THAT'S CAPABLE
OF HANDLING A 3-YEAR-OLD FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION.
IN ADDITION TO THE SUCCESS OF THE CHILD BY THE THIRD GRADE,
THE VOCABULARY OF CHILDREN IS SOMETHING THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT
FOR THEIR SUCCESS, SO I THINK WE HAVE TO REALLY LOOK AT THE FACT
THAT WE'RE MISSING THE MARK. WE'RE MISSING THE MARK.
AND SO WE JUST NEED TO, YOU KNOW, GET SERIOUS ABOUT IT.
ANOTHER THING I WANTED TO MENTION IS THAT -- I GOT SEVERAL
CONCERNS, BUT HOW WE ALLOW OUR YOUNG GIRLS TO DRESS THIS TIME
OF YEAR, IT'S RIDICULOUS. MY SON, YOUNGEST SON GOES TO
GRANBY HIGH SCHOOL AND THANK THE LORD HE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE
NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY LAST NIGHT, AND I DROP HIM OFF EVERY
MORNING OR EITHER HIS MOTHER DROPS HIM OFF EVERY MORNING AND
LAST WEEK ONE OF OUR FIRST DAYS THAT IT GOT WARM, I DROPPED HIM
OFF AT SCHOOL AND THIS LITTLE GIRL THAT I SAW WHO WAS VERY
GENEROUSLY ENDOWED HAD ON SOME OF THE SHORTEST SHORTS THAT YOU
EVER WANT TO SEE. MY CONCERN IS THAT, COUPLED WITH
THE MORNING AFTER PILL, THAT THEY JUST ALLOW THESE YOUNG
GIRLS TO GET, AT 17 YEARS OLD ACROSS THE COUNTER, ARE WE
ADDING TO THE EARLY *** ACTIVITY WHICH COULD LEAD TO
MORE SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES.
I THINK WE NEED TO GET THESE GIRLS TO COVER UP.
YOU KNOW, YOU ALWAYS HAVE THESE PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO THE
AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION SAYING THAT YOU CAN DRESS THE
WAY YOU WANT TO DRESS, BUT I BELIEVE THAT IF WE OBTAIN $5500
FOR A SCHOOL TO COME TO SCHOOL, THAT WE CAN INSIST, AND IF NOT,
WE NEED TO GO TO COURT, BECAUSE THIS MORNING-AFTER PILL IS GOING
TO BE THE THIRD PILL TO ADD TO THE *** REVOLUTION THAT'S
GOING ON IN THIS COUNTRY, AND IT'S JUST RIDICULOUS THAT WE
DON'T MAKE THESE GIRLS COVER UP. EVEN LAST NIGHT AT THE -- FOR
THE NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY INDUCTION, SOME OF THOSE GIRLS
HAD ON SKIRTS THAT I THOUGHT WERE ENTIRELY TOO SHORT FOR WHAT
THEY WERE DOING. SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I
THINK WE NEED TO GET ON AND I GOT A COUPLE MORE THINGS.
THE CREATION OF THIS HIGHLY TECHNICAL SCHOOL, WHICH I
BELIEVE IS BEING DRIVEN MORE BY THE GREATER NORFOLK CORPORATION
THAN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE PRICE TAG
MIGHT BE AROUND $79 MILLION, AND YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE
POSSIBILITIES OF USING LAKE TAYLOR AS IT IS, TEARING LAKE
TAYLOR DOWN AND BUILDING A NEW SCHOOL RIGHT THERE.
I'M OF THE OPINION, AND I SHARED IT WITH SOME OTHERS AND I'M
GOING TO SHARE IT WITH YOU NOW IF I HAVEN'T IN THE PAST, IS
THAT THE VO-TECH CAL SCHOOLS THAT WE HAVE ON MILITARY HIGHWAY
HAS ENOUGH PROPERTY AROUND IT TO BUILD A FACILITY THERE.
NOW, I KNOW THAT YOUR ENROLLMENT FOR YOUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IS
A CONCERN AND WE'RE SAYING THAT WE PROBABLY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH
ENROLLMENT TO HAVE A SIXTH HIGH SCHOOL, BUT I BELIEVE THAT IF
WE'RE GOING TO SPEND $79 MILLION, THEN WE NEED TO
LOOK AT THAT FACILITY, WHICH CAN BE TORN DOWN AND A NICE
TECHNICAL SCHOOL CAN BE BUILT THERE.
I DON'T -- AND I DON'T WANT THIS BOARD TO LET -- YOUR SCHOOL
BOARD, TO LET THE GREATER NORFOLK CORPORATION DRIVE THIS
THING. I MEAN, YOU'RE THE SCHOOL BOARD
THAT WE APPOINT AND GREATER NORFOLK IS WHO I BELIEVE
SOMETIMES CAN BE A SHADOW GOVERNMENT AND WE JUST CAN'T LET
THEM DRIVE WHAT WE ARE -- YOU EXPECT US TO FUND.
AND I KNOW, PAUL, YOU'RE A STRONG MEMBER OF GREATER NORFOLK
AND -- BUT I SAY THAT TO YOU AS WELL, THAT IT'S A SHADOW
GOVERNMENT AND THIS IS A GOOD EFFORT, BUT WE CANNOT LET THEM
DRIVE THIS TRAIN. WE GOT TO DRIVE THE TRAIN.
AND IN YOUR REMARKS, IF YOU COULD JUST TELL US ONE THING,
DR. KING, I'M GLAD YOU'RE DOING, POSITIVE, THE FACT THAT THE
NUMBER OF STUDENTS WE HAVE GETTING A FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH
EQUATING WITH STUDENT SUCCESS. WHILE IT PLAYS A SIGNIFICANT
ROLE, IT DOES NOT PREVENT OUR CHILDREN FROM BEING SUCCESSFUL.
THE FREE LUNCH PROGRAM IS THE OLDEST SOCIAL PROGRAM IN THIS
COUNTRY. OF COURSE, IT DIDN'T GET TO OUR
SCHOOLS UNTIL 1960s, BUT I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO
REALIZE -- I WAS LOOKING AT MELISSA HARRIS-FERRY AND SHE
SAID HOW CAN YOU EXPECT A CHILD TO PERFORM WHEN THEY'RE HUNGRY,
AND IT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO REALIZE.
IN ONE OF HER REMARKS, HOW CAN YOU EXPECT A CHILD TO PASS A
MATH TEST IF THEY'RE SITTING THERE HUNGRY AND THEIR STOMACH
IS GROWLING, SO THERE ARE A LOT OF ISSUES THAT ARE VERY
IMPORTANT IN A BUDGET, BUT THERE'S SOME BASIC THINGS IN
REGARD TO EDUCATION AND SUCCESSFUL EDUCATION THAT WE
NEED TO FOCUS OURSELVES ON. IT'S A SHAME THAT MONEY IS THE
DRIVING FACTOR BECAUSE OF SEQUESTRATION AND LACK OF STATE
FUNDING AND THE FUNDING THAT WE HAVE TO GET FROM OTHER SOURCES,
THESE A DRIVING FORCE OF -- THAT'S A DRIVING FORCE OF
EDUCATION, BUT SOMEHOW WE HAVE TO OVERCOME THAT, IN MY OPINION,
AND MAKE SURE WE HAVE A SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL SYSTEM.
SO I'LL RELINQUISH THE MIC AND COME BACK IN A MINUTE.
>> ALL RIGHT, DOCTOR, DID YOU WANT TO --
>> YES. MR. RIDDICK, I'M NOT SURE, WITH
ALL DUE RESPECT, YOU'RE REFERRING TO THE ROSY PICTURE WE
PRESENTED, I THINK THE LAST TIME WE WERE TOGETHER WAS IN THE FALL
AND ALL THE RESULTS WERE ALREADY OUT BY THAT TIME REGARDING THE
ACCREDITATION OF THE SCHOOLS, THE OPTIMISM THAT WE SHARED IN
THE SPRING WAS RELATED TO OUR GRADUATION COMPLETION INDEX
BECAUSE OF THE WORK OF THE GRADUATION COACHES THAT WERE IN
OUR FIVE SCHOOLS. WE ANTICIPATED SOME INCREASE IN
THE GRADUATION RATE, WHICH WE DID GET AND ACTUALLY ONE HIGH
SCHOOL WAS ABLE TO ACHIEVE ACCREDITATION BECAUSE OF THAT,
BUT IN THE FALL, IN TERMS OF THE -- WE HAVE JUST A FEW
INDICATORS REGARDING OUR HIGH SCHOOL, HOW THEY'RE FARING.
ACCREDITATION, WHICH IS BASED ON THOSE SOL SCORES, AND, OF
COURSE, WHAT WE USE INTERNALLY, BENCHMARK TESTS AND END OF
COURSE GRADES AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S IMPORTANT TO US AS
WELL, A VALUE TO US IS THAT WE PRESENT THE FACTS AND I'M A FIRM
BELIEVER IN THE FACTS ARE YOUR FRIEND, SO IT'S CERTAINLY NEVER
AN ATTEMPT BY THIS BOARD TO PRESENT A REALITY THAT IS, THAT
IS UNTRUE AND NOT ACCURATE. AND THAT'S NEVER OUR INTENTION.
WE WANT THE FACTS AND CERTAINLY WHEN WE PRESENT PUBLICLY, IT IS
IMPORTANT TO US TO PRESENT THE FACTS AS THEY STAND AND THEN TO
DEAL WITH THEM ACCORDINGLY. >> ONE OTHER THING I WANT TO
SAY, I WOULD QUALIFY THAT REVEREND HOUSTON IS ONE OF MY
GOOD FRIENDS. I STRONGLY SUPPORT HIM, BUT I'M
GOING TO LOOK THAT INFORMATION UP AND SHOW YOU.
>> OKAY. YOU WANT TO SAY ANYTHING?
>> NO, I -- >> REAL QUICKLY TO YOUR RESPONSE
ON THE CLOSING, WHEN YOU CALL A -- ON THE CLOTHING, WHEN YOU
CALL PARENT AND THE PARENT SAYS I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING WRONG WITH
WHAT SHE WAS WEARING, THAT TELLS YOU WHERE THE PROBLEM IS.
A DEEPER QUESTION ABOUT CLOTHING AND SCHOOLS, AND I BROUGHT THIS
UP EVERY YEAR FOR THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, AT SOME POINT,
THERE'S A REALITY THAT WE MIGHT HAVE MORE SCHOOL BUILDINGS THAN
WHAT WE NEED AND I KNOW IT'S A HARD THING TO ADDRESS IN PICKING
WHICH SCHOOLS NEED TO CLOSE. I VOLUNTEERED ONE FOR YOU THE
LAST TIME WE NET, BUT I UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE TO HAVE
PLACES TO PUT THOSE KIDS. WHERE ARE WE WITH THAT WITH YOUR
DEMOGRAPHER? I THINK YOU HIRED A DEMOG
GRAPHER OR YOU'RE IN THAT PROCESS.
>> WE HIRED. >> WITH THE BOARD AND THE
CONVERSATION ABOUT WHERE WE SHOULD BE MOVING WITH THAT, AND
BOTH DR. WHIBLEY AND I HAVE DISCUSSED MULTIPLE TIMES THAT
THE CURRENT STOCK OF SCHOOL BUILDINGS, THAT WHEN MONEY IS
MADE OFF OF THOSE, THAT IT SHOULD GO BACK TO THE SCHOOLS
AND I THINK THERE'S OTHERS ON COUNCIL WHO FEEL THAT WAY AS
WELL, BUT THERE MIGHT EVEN BE OPPORTUNITIES WITH SOME OF THOSE
POTENTIAL SCHOOLS THAT CAN CLOSE.
THEY'RE PRIME LOCATIONS FOR FUTURE REDEVELOPMENT THAT WE CAN
GET THAT MONEY BACK QUICKER AND BE ABLE TO USE TOWARDS SCHOOL
CONSTRUCTION OR MAINTENANCE. AND I DON'T KNOW WHO WANTS TO
ADDRESS THAT OR -- >> WELL, I MEAN, AS I STATED
EARLIER, WE HAD MOVED FORWARD WITH THAT.
SO IT SHOULD BE A MATTER OF WEEKS BEFORE WE'RE REALLY OFF
AND RUNNING WITH THE COMMUNITY CONVERSATION, WITH THE GROUP
MEETING WITH THE BOARD. ALSO, TAKING A LOOK AT THE
CAPACITY OF SCHOOLS AND THAT KIND OF THING, AND CLOSE
PROXIMITY AND WHAT MEANS, YOU KNOW.
BECAUSE IF WE'RE GOING TO CLOSE A CERTAIN SCHOOL, THEN WE HAVE
TO MOVE THE STUDENTS OUT OF THERE TO ANOTHER LOCATION AND
MANY TIMES THAT WILL PRODUCE A DOMINO EFFECT.
THERE'S ISSUES AROUND THAT AND NEED TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS
EARLY TO GET THE RATIONALE TO THE COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF WHAT
WE'RE DOING AND WHY WE'RE DOING AND WHAT THE BENEFITS IS AND
THAT'S WHY IT IS VITAL IMPORTANCE TO HAVE THE
RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE GOING TO COME FORWARD AND I WOULD SAY
A MATTER OF BE WEEKS. DR. THORNTON, ANY OTHER UPDATE
IN REFERENCE TO THE TIMELINE FOR THAT ROLLING OUT?
>> NO, I THINK YOU HIT IT, LATE SPRING, EARLY SUMMER.
>> AND WILL YOU USE THAT TO ADDRESS ANYTHING IN THIS YEAR'S
BUDGET? THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE
LONGER TERM, PROBABLY -- WE'RE PLAYING A LITTLE BIT OF CATCH-UP
WITH THE NUMBERS? >> I THINK IT WOULD BE LONG TERM
THAT IMPACT UPCOMING BUDGETS ONLY BECAUSE OF THE DOMINO
EFFECT THAT COMES INTO PLAY WITH THE NUMBER OF FAMILIES THAT ARE
IMPACTED LIKE THAT. WE WANT TO COMMUNICATE THAT TO
THEM EARLY, LET THEM KNOW WHAT THE PLANS ARE AND IN SOME CASES
INVOLVE THEM IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO GIVE INPUT AND FEEDBACK.
THAT'S THE PRACTICE AROUND HERE, I'VE SEEN IT DONE OTHER PLACES
AND DONE ABRUPTLY AND VERY QUICKLY AND IT DIDN'T FARE WELL.
>> AND THE OTHER PIECE OF THAT IS THAT WE'RE REALLY STRIVING TO
PLAN LONG RANGE WITH EVERYTHING AND NOT DO THINGS PIECEMEAL, SO
IF IT'S GOING TO REQUIRE US TO REDRAW SOME LINES WITH REGARDS
TO ZONING AND REDISTRICTING FOR THE CLOSURE OF A SCHOOL, WE WANT
TO LOOK AT HOW THAT'S GOING TO IMPACT THE ENTIRE DISTRICT AND
WE WANT TO LOOK AT EQUITY AS IT RELATES TO SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS,
NOT CONTINUE TO CREATE HIGHER POVERTY SET OF SCHOOLS, AND SO
THIS PLAN FROM THE DEMOGRAPHER WILL ENABLE US TO LOOK AT A LANG
RANG PLAN AND MAKE -- LONG RANGE PLAN AND MAKE A DECISION BASED
ON WHERE WE'RE GOING THE NEXT FIVE OR TEN YEARS AND NOT MAKE A
MOVE HERE AND HAVE TO COME BACK AND DO THE SAME THING AGAIN ONE
YEAR OR TWO YEARS LATER. >> IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE ONE
OF MY CONCERNS WAS ALWAYS BEEN THAT WE REALLY ARE NOT
ADDRESSING THE STUDY THAT -- THERE'S A FOCUS TO BUILD SCHOOLS
THAT IS LIKE CHIPPING AWAY AT AN ICE BLOCK, AND THAT THERE'S NO
WAY THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO REBUILD ALL THE SCHOOLS THAT
WE NEED TO BUILD IN THE AMOUNT OF TIME, BUT IF THERE WAS SOME
WAY TO GENERATE AN EXTRA SOURCE OF REVENUE THAT COULD GO TOWARDS
SOME HEAVY MAINTENANCE OF SOME OF THE BUILDINGS, NOT EVERY
BUILDING NEEDS TO BE TORN DOWN AND REBUILT.
BUT THERE ARE SOME BUILDINGS THAT YOU PUT A COUPLE MILLION
INTO, YOU COULD REALLY KEEP THEIR STRUCTURE AND ADD SOME
TECHNOLOGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE IN THERE.
I KNOW THE STUDY GETS OLDER EVERY YEAR, SO IT WOULD BE NICE
TO SEE BETTER NUMBERS WITH THAT. I'VE HEARD POSITIONS OF MAURY
HIGH SCHOOL AND WHERE THAT'S GOING AND THAT'S GOING TO BE A
BIG RESPONSE DOWN THE ROAD. I'D LIKE TO SEE MAYBE THE CITY
MANAGER COME BACK WITH MORE OF A RECOMMENDATION OF A TAX INCREASE
IF IT WAS GOING TO BE LOCKBOXED FOR SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION OR
SOMETHING. I THINK GOING OUT TO THE
COMMUNITY AND HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM, IT'S A
SERIOUS PURPOSE. WE NEED THE COMMUNITY TO BACK US
AND HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS INVESTMENT IN SCHOOLS WILL
PAY OFF IN THE LONG RUN WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, BUILDING
UP OUR -- THE EQUAL OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS -- QUALITY OF OUR
NEIGHBORHOODS AND WE'VE GOT TO LET THEM KNOW HOW BAD IT REALLY
IS. YOU KNOW, I LOOK AT MY
DAUGHTER'S SCHOOL AND ON THIS TIMELINE, IT WOULDN'T BE OPENING
UNTIL 2018. I WAS THERE THE OTHER DAY FOR
SCHOOL AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT SCHOOL CAN LAST UNTIL 2018.
IT'S UNFORTUNATE, BUT IT'S SUCH A BIG ISSUE AND I KNOW YOU GUYS
HAVE YOUR HANDS FULL TOO WITH THAT.
IF WE CAN GET BETTER NUMBERS EVENTUALLY ON IT.
>> I'M GOING TO GO TO THE VICE MAYOR, BUT JUST ONE -- THESE
DEMOGRAPHIC STUDIES, AND I KNOW YOU HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS WITH
THE FUTURE IN MIND AND NOT GET YOURSELF FROZEN IN TRYING TO
COLLECT DATA, SO MUCH DATA THAT YOU DON'T MOVE.
SOMETIMES -- AND I'VE BEEN PART OF THIS MYSELF HERE IN CITY
HALL, YOU HAVE OVERPLANNED STUFF AND BY THE TIME WE HAVE GONE
THROUGH THESE EXERCISES WHICH, YOU KNOW, GO YEARS, ALL OF A
SUDDEN THE DATA IS OLD AND WE HAVE TO START AGAIN AND
CONDITIONS HAVE CHANGED. WE NEED TO BUILD SOME SCHOOLS.
WE NEED TO CLOSE SOME SCHOOLS. YOU KNOW, WE NEED -- WE HAVE
EXCESS CAPACITY, WE HAVE OLD FACILITIES, AND WE NEED -- WE
HAVE SOME SCHOOLS THAT ARE 300 -- BUILT FOR 200, HAVE 300
AND SOME WITH 6, 7, 800. I THINK WE NEED TO DO BETTER AND
YOU INHERITED THAT, DR. KING, I KNOW THAT, BUT I JUST THINK IT'S
IMPATIVE -- IMPERATIVE. >> THAT WAS MY QUESTION.
I WAS GOING TO SAY, WHEN ARE WE GOING TO START BUILDING SCHOOLS?
WE CONTINUE TO SIT AROUND THE TABLE AND WE TALK ABOUT THE
CAMPOSTELLA SCHOOL AND THE QUESTION IS WHEN ARE WE GOING TO
START? THE FUNDS ARE THERE, AND IN
TERMS OF THE OTHER SCHOOLS, THEY'RE STILL WORKING AND TO ME,
WE STILL HAVEN'T ESTABLISHED THE NEIGHBORHOOD ATTENDANCE DANCE
ZONES AS RELATED TO THE BROAD CREEK AREA IN TERMS OF, WE'RE
GOING TO CREATE NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS, WHICH THEY DID,
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS BACK WHEN AND YOU'RE BUILDING A NEW SCHOOL,
YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT AND THEN THE OTHER THING, YOU GOT TO
LOOK AT THE FUTURE GROWTH, WHAT'S WITHIN NRHA, HOW MANY
HOMES ARE PLANNED FOR THAT COMMUNITY LONG TERM, BECAUSE THE
LAST THING YOU WANT TO DO IS BUILD A NEW SCHOOL AND THEN HAVE
TRAILERS A YEAR LATER. YOU WANT TO BUILD A SCHOOL TO BE
ABLE TO IMPACT THE COMMUNITY THAT'S THERE TODAY AND THERE THE
NEXT FIVE OR TEN YEARS, AND SO, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE GOING TO
START -- WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, FROM A BUDGET
STANDPOINT, AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TRYING TO EXPEDITE THE
SCHOOL-BUILDING PROCESS AND WHILE WE'RE DOING THAT, WE NEED
TO START HAVING THESE NEIGHBORHOOD DISCUSSIONS, AND SO
WE CAN GET TO THAT SOONER THAN LATER BECAUSE WE'RE LIKELY TO
STEP ON A FEW FEET AND WE NEED TO GET GOING.
>> LAST NIGHT, WE MET WITH A GROUP OF PARENTS FROM
CAMPOSTELLA AND TOOK THEM ON A TOUR OF THE CROSSROADS SCHOOL,
ANSWERED QUESTIONS, TALKED TO THEM, PLANNING CHARRETTES FOR
THEM. WE'RE ALREADY IN PLANNING STAGES
TO EXPAND THE BERKLEY CHILDHOOD, EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION CENTER
SO THAT WE CAN MOVE THE PRE-K CHILDREN AND THE KINDERGARTEN
AND FIRST GRADE CHILDREN OVER TO THAT CENTER.
WE'RE GOING TO BE REDOING THE DREAM KEEPERS ACADEMY SO WE CAN
PUT THE OLDER CHILDREN FROM CAMPOSTELLA OVER THERE AND WE'RE
LOOKING AT A FALL TEARDOWN OF THE CAMPOSTELLA SCHOOL.
BECAUSE OF THE LAYOUT OF THE CAMPOSTELLA SCHOOL RIGHT NOW AND
THE FOOTPRINT THAT WE HAVE, WE CAN'T BUILD THE SCHOOL AT THE
SAME TIME. IT HAS TO BE WHERE THE SCHOOL IS
RIGHT NOW TO AVOID WETLANDS AND SUCH, SO WE'RE IN THE PLANNING
STAGES OF THAT. WE ARE MOVING FORWARD WITH THE
CAMPOSTELLA SCHOOL AND WE ARE ALSO HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT
MOVING FORWARD WITH THE SCHOOL AT BROAD CREEK AND ENVISIONS
THAT. >> AND HAVE WE -- IN TERMS THE
BUDGET, HAVE WE GOT SOMETHING IN THERE WHAT PROGRAMS YOU WANT TO
RESTORE, FOR EXAMPLE, MIDDLE COLLEGE PROGRAM?
I KNOW DUAL ENROLLMENT, YOU LOOKED AT.
>> IS IT SAFE TO SAY THAT BY THIS TIME NEXT YEAR, THAT THE
LONG-TERM PLAN WILL BE IN PLACE FOR REZONING, REDISTRICTING OR
EARLIER? I'M NOT SAYING WE COULDN'T --
THERE'S SOME OBVIOUS THINGS THAT (INAUDIBLE) ADDITIONAL DOLLARS
RIGHT THERE. >> WE LOSE 800.
>> WE DON'T THINK -- THAT WOULD BE OBVIOUS WHEN ALL THE NUMBERS
COME? >> RIGHT.
WELL, WE EXPECT TO HAVE THAT PLAN IN PLACE WELL IN ADVANCE OF
THIS TIME NEXT YEAR. >>EAU OUGHT TO -- YOU OUGHT TO
HAVE THE WHOLE MAP IN PLACE BY THAT TIME.
>> RIGHT, THE WHOLE PROCESS IN PLACE HOPEFUL WITHIN A SIX-WEEK
PERIOD OF TIME IF THE ENTITY COMES INTO PLACE TO DO THE
REVIEW. >> BUT NOT IN TIME FOR ANYTHINGS
FOR THIS -- >> THAT I WOULD DOUBT BECAUSE OF
THE VARIABLES THAT WOULD COME IN PLAY.
I WOULD GUESS THAT DEPENDING ON WHAT THE RECOMMENDATION WOULD
GIVE US, THAT THERE'S A POSSIBILITY THAT THAT COULD
IMPACT THIS, BUT I DON'T -- I DOUBT THAT.
I DON'T ANTICIPATE THAT, THAT TIME FRAME.
>> ONE MORE COMMENT AND THEN DR. STEWART.
IN KEEPING WITH TOMMY'S COMMENT A MOMENT AGO, WE LEARNED I GUESS
THE LAST COUPLE DAYS, I GUESS, COUNCIL GOT THE NOTION THAT IF
YOU WERE TO ADD TWO PENNIES TO REAL ESTATE TAX AND BECAUSE THE
REESTATE VALUES ARE STILL DECLINING -- REAL ESTATE VALUES
ARE STILL DECLINING AND FOLKS WOULD PAY 27 BUCKS LESS WITH TWO
CENTS, BUT IF YOU ADDED TWO CENTS, AN AVERAGE HOMEOWNER,
$200,000 HOUSE, WOULD ONLY PAY $13 FOR THAT OVER THE COURSE OF
THE YEAR, FOR THOSE TWO PENNIES. THAT'S A FAIRLY LOW PRESSURE ON
$13, PRETTY GOOD STUFF. IF YOU GOT A -- YOU CAN START
THINKING ABOUT NEEDS AND WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH THAT.
I'M SORRY, DR. STEWART. >> MANY OF THESE QUESTIONS THAT
ARE BEING RAISED RIGHT NOW ARE QUESTIONS THAT YOU RAISED LAST
TIME WE WERE HERE, AND WE'RE VERY CLOSE TO HAVING A RESPONSE
THAT I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO BE VERY EXCITED ABOUT.
MGT STUDY BEGAN TO SET SOME FACILITIES DIRECTIONS.
THE STABILIZATION THAT DR. KING, THE AREA CURRICULUM ISSUES IS
CRITICAL. LAST YEAR, LAST SPRING, WE
COMPLETED A FACILITIES ANALYSIS, A STRATEGIC FACILITIES ANALYSIS
TO ENHANCE TEACHING AND LEARNING WITH TECHNOLOGY.
ALL OF THESE PIECES ARE THERE, BUT IT NEEDS TO BE COHERENT AND
COORDINATED. WE HAD TO AWAIT THE FINAL
RESULTS OF THE STUDY FOR THE CTE, SO NOW WE'RE ABOUT -- WHEN
IS THE NEXT MEETING, DR. ROBINSON?
>> NEXT MASTER PLANNING IS APRIL 24th.
>> APRIL 24th, WE'LL BE DISCUSSING ALL THESE PIECES, AND
MR. RIDDICK, IT'S VERY EXCITING YOUR EMPHASIS ON EARLY CHILDHOOD
ISSUES AND LOCATIONS COULD COME INTO PLAY BECAUSE OF THE SCHOOL
COMBINING. WE'RE NOT GOING TO CLOSE THESE
SCHOOLS, WE'RE GOING TO COMBINE THE FACILITIES.
I WORKED FOR GOVERNOR BLILES AND GOVERNOR WILDER IN THAT AREA.
I WORKED WITH GOVERNOR KAINE IN THAT AREA AND THAT'S CERTAINLY A
MAJOR PART OF OUR CONVERSATION AS WE'RE LOOKING AT SCHOOL
COMBININGS AND WHAT WOULD RESULT.
THESE ISSUES ARE WITHIN WEEKS. UNFORTUNATELY, MR. WINN, THEY
DON'T SEEM TO CORRESPOND TO THIS YEAR'S BUDGET CYCLE, BUT WE'RE
VERY CLOSE TO GIVING YOU SOME OF THE ANSWERS THAT YOU HAD
REQUESTED IN THE ALL AND MR. PROTOGYROU HAD SOME
REQUESTS. I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO BE
EXCITED WHEN YOU SEE THE RESULTS.
>> ANY OTHER -- >> YES, I HAVE A FEW.
I KIND OF LIKE THE GLASS HALF FULL SIDE OF THINGS, AND THE
NUMBER ONE PRIORITIES THAT YOU PUT OUT CONSISTENTLY IS TO MAKE
SURE THAT ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS RECEIVE FULL ACCREDITATION, AND
HAVING SAID THAT, I THINK THAT THAT WILL FIX SOME ISSUES IN
TERMS OF FULLY ACCREDITED SCHOOLS SO THAT PEOPLE WANT TO
MOVE INTO THE CITY OF NORFOLK AND JUST FROM MY PROFESSIONAL
STANDPOINT, THAT'S A PLUS. THAT MEANS THAT REAL ESTATE
VALUES WILL NOT DECREASE, THEY WILL INCREASE, WHICH MEANS THAT
WHATEVER TWO CENTS WE PUT ON WILL BE A TWO CENTS ON INCREASED
VALUE. THAT BEING SAID, IN YOUR
PLANNING FOR REDISTRICTING AND COMBINING SCHOOLS, I LIKE
COMBINING BETTER THAN CLOSING, COMBINING SCHOOLS, JUST KEEP IN
MIND THAT, AGAIN, AND IT KIND OF GOES BACK TO WHAT THE VICE MAYOR
SAID. IN LOOKING AT THE FUTURE AND
LOOKING AT THE PROGRESS THAT WE WILL BE MAKING WITH OUR STUDENTS
AND WITH THE FULLY ACCREDITED -- THAT'S JUST GOING TO DRAW
PEOPLE. ACCREDITATION RATES HAVE BEEN,
YOU KNOW, UP AND DOWN, YOU KNOW, DECLINING OR WHATEVER FAR LONG
BEFORE I GOT ON COUNCIL, BUT THEY'RE TURNING AROUND AND
THEY'RE GOING TO BE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION WITH, YOU
KNOW, WITH YOUR LEADERSHIP AND THE FIVE-YEAR PLAN AND ALL KINDS
OF OTHER THINGS, BUT JUST KEEP THOSE THINGS IN MIND BECAUSE
WHEN ACCREDITATION RATES GO UP, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WILL START TO
WANT TO MOVE BACK TO NORFOLK IN LARGER DROVES THAN THEY ALREADY
DO. AND SO WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE
SCHOOLS THAT ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE OR CLASS
SIZES THAT ARE TOO LARGE FOR OUR STUDENTS.
THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO ADDRESS WAS, YOU MENTIONED
DECREASING THE OUT-OF-SCHOOL SUSPENSIONS FOR STUDENTS.
AND MAYBE ONE THING YOU MAY WANT TO LOOK AT, OUR CHURCH, I GO TO
GROVE BAPTIST CHURCH IN PORTSMOUTH AND WE DO A PROGRAM
THAT IS WITH PORTSMOUTH PUBLIC SCHOOLS WHERE THEY TAKE CHILDREN
WHO ARE IN OUT-OF-SCHOOL SUSPENSION AND BASICALLY GET THE
LESSON PLAN AND HOMEWORK AND WHATEVER FROM THE TEACHERS SO
THAT THOSE CHILDREN ARE STILL GETTING INSTRUCTION BECAUSE IF
THEY'RE OUT OF SCHOOL, THEY'RE NOT LEARNING, BUT THEY ALSO HAVE
A TENDENCY TO BE DISRUPTIVE, SO IT PUTS THEM IN AN ENVIRONMENT
WHERE THEY CAN LEARN AND NOT BE DISRUPTIVE AND THE PARENTS HAVE
TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH THEM WHEN THEY WORK, SO MAYBE
PARTNERING WITH ONE OR TWO OR THREE, STRATEGICALLY ACROSS THE
CITY, CHURCHES THAT HAVE THE CAPACITY, THE ABILITY, THE
MEMBERSHIP TO HAVE VOLUNTEERS, WHAT HAVE YOU, TO BE ABLE TO DO
THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO THE SCHOOL
SYSTEM, SO WHEN THOSE STUDENTS COME BACK TO SCHOOL, THEY'RE NOT
BEHIND BECAUSE THEY MISSED TWO OR THREE OR FOUR DAYS, WHATEVER.
THE LAST THING I WOULD LIKE TO CHIME IN ON, YOU ALSO MENTIONED
IMPROVING WRITING, AND I HOPE, AND I MAY -- YOU KNOW, IT MAY BE
SOMETHING THAT'S ALREADY IN PLACE, BUT I WOULD HOPE THAT
WHEN YOU'RE IMPROVING THE WRITING, THAT WE'RE TEACHING OUR
CHILDREN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FORMAL WRITING AND THE TEXTING
AND, YOU KNOW, ALL THAT KIND OF -- I MEAN, REALLY, BECAUSE
IT'S VERY EASY TO GET THE TWO CONFUSED WHEN YOU REALLY DON'T
KNOW THE DIFFERENCE. >> SURE.
>> AND WHEN THEY'RE YOUNG AND THEY'RE IN THE FORMATIVE, YOU
KNOW, STAGES, THEY REALLY OUGHT TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE AND THEY
MAY NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES AT HOME.
I COULD NOT SPEAK IMPROPER OR INCORRECT ENGLISH AT HOME, SO I
HAD THAT RESOURCE, REINFORCEMENT AT HOME.
EVERY CHILD DOESN'T HAVE THAT, SO I'M JUST HOPING THAT WE ARE
TEACHING THEM THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT IS APPROPRIATE IN A
TEXT MESSAGE TO THEIR FRIENDS AND WHAT IS APPROPRIATE FOR
FORMAL WRITING WHEN THEY'RE WRITING AN ESSAY FOR COLLEGE OR
SOMETHING OR ANOTHER LIKE THAT. >> SURE, SURE.
AND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM HAS MADE AVAILABLE A PROGRAM CALLED MY
ACCESS WHICH IS A WRITING PROGRAM AND IT'S WRITING ESSAYS
AND IT'S ACTUALLY SUBMITTED AND THEN GRADED AND COMES BACK --
>> DID WE HAVE A DEMONSTRATION OF THAT?
OKAY, THAT'S THE PROGRAM. >> THE ENGLISH TEACHERS ARE VERY
SATISFIED AND HAPPY WITH THE PROGRAM AND WHAT IT TEACHES THE
STUDENTS. >> ALL RIGHT.
>> I'D LIKE TO -- I'VE BEEN PUT AT THE TAIL END OF THE MANAGER'S
PRESENTATION TODAY AND SKIMMED THROUGH A LITTLE BIT WHAT'S
HERE. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ASK THE
COUNCIL TO, IN YOUR DELIBERATIONS, TO CONSIDER FULLY
FUNDING THE BUDGET REQUEST THAT WE SENT.
PART OF THAT BUDGET REQUEST, WHEN IT COMES TO RETAINING AND
ATTRACTING OUR TEACHERS, FULLY QUALIFIED TEACHERS AND EXPECTED
TEACHERS, ALLOWS FOR THE DISTRICT TO GO THROUGH THE YEAR.
A LOT OF US TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE UPS AND DOWNS AND THE
PEAKS AND VALLEYS AND, YOU KNOW, THIS INFORMATION AND THAT
INFORMATION, BUT PART OF WHAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO HEAR IN MY
SHORT TIME ON THE SCHOOL BOARD IS WE HAVE SOME SCHOOLS THAT ARE
CONSIDERED HARD TO STAFF. AND THOSE SCHOOLS, TYPICALLY,
ARE ALL THE HIGH POVERTY SCHOOLS, AND SO WHAT WE FIND IS
WE -- FROM MY REVIEW OF THE DATA, IS THAT OFTENTIMES AS SOON
AS YOU'RE ABLE TO GET THE CHILDREN TO A POINT WHERE THEY
CAN HAVE SUCCESS, WE HAVE STAFF TURNOVER AND SO THE -- PART OF
THE EFFORT AROUND TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE RETAIN ALL THE
STAFF THAT WE HAVE, IT ALLOWS US TO KEEP THAT INTELLECTUAL
CAPITAL, ALLOWS US TO KEEP CONTINUITY WITH OUR SCHOOLS, AND
IT ALLOWS A LOT OF RECOMMENDATIONS THAT DR. KING
AND HIS TEAM HAVE BEEN BUILDING OVER THESE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS
TO REALLY TAKE ROOT SO WHEN WE COME BACK NEXT YEAR, WE CAN
REALLY TALK ABOUT A DIFFERENT STORY.
WE ALSO MENTIONED THE LITERACY AND NUMBERACY COACHES, THE CLASS
SIZE ISSUES, THE SAFETY NET, AND IF WE LOOK AT THOSE OUTCOMES ON
THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE, ALL OF THOSE THINGS REALLY DEPEND UPON
RESEARCH AND DATA AND TO TRY TO MOVE THE DISTRICT FORWARD.
I'M IN SUPPORT OF TRYING TO BUILD NEW SCHOOLS, I THINK
THAT'S IMPORTANT, BUT I ALSO JUST LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT SOME
OF OUR HIGHER PERFORMING SCHOOLS ARE OUR MOST CHALLENGED --
PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED SCHOOLS. SOME OF OUR NEWER SCHOOLS WHEN
IT COMES TO ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AREN'T DOING SO WELL, SO WHEN
YOU TALK ABOUT -- YOU CALL IT DEMOGRAPHER AND IT'S REALLY MORE
COMPLICATED THAN THAT. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT COMBINING THE
SCHOOL BUILDINGS AND THE PHYSICAL CLIMATE, THE TEACHER
MORALE AND THE CLIMATE IN THE BUILDING, THE STUDENT
POPULATION, THE ACADEMIC RIGOR AND ALL THE OTHER THINGS THAT
THE ADMINISTRATION HAS PUT FORWARD, IT REALLY IS A MAGIC
MIX THAT IS SHOWN TO PRODUCE RESULTS NOT JUST HERE IN NORFOLK
WHERE WE KNOW WE HAVE SCHOOLS THAT ARE DOING EXTREMELY WELL,
BUT ALSO AROUND THE COUNTRY. A LOT OF DIFFERENT CLASSES, MY
DAUGHTER WAS AT THE HONOR SOCIETY PROGRAM TOO, I MADE HER
CHANGE THREE TIMES BEFORE WE WENT --
[ LAUGHTER ] -- BUT ULTIMATELY THE -- AT THE
END OF THE DAY, I THINK THAT WE CAN REALLY GIVE SOME ATTENTION
TO THE REQUEST THAT WE PUT FORWARD, THE BASIS FOR THE
REQUEST, THE OUTCOMES THAT YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE, AND IF FOR SOME
REASON WE FIND THAT WE AREN'T ABLE TO GET TO WHERE WE WANT TO
BE, THEN WE'LL TALK ABOUT WHICH OUTCOMES DO WE NEED TO CONSIDER
SACRIFICING IN THE NEXT YEAR. I JUST THINK THAT THE TOP TEAM
HAVE COME IN, THERE'S BEEN SOME TURMOIL, THEY HAVE UNCOVERED
SOME THINGS AND THAT MAY HAVE BEEN PART OF WHAT COUNCILMAN
RIDDICK WAS ALLUDING TO. IF WE CAN GET THE COMMUNITY AS A
WHOLE TO DO THIS INVESTMENT AND ALLOW US TO WORK TOGETHER TO
PRODUCE RESULTS, THEN I THINK WE CAN REALLY HAVE ANCHOR
INSTITUTIONS WITH ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE ALL ACROSS THIS CITY
THAT SERVES OUR NEIGHBORHOODS WELL, SERVES OUR --
>> ONE OTHER THING. WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT THIS, BUT I
KNOW YOU GUYS HAD SOME CONVERSATION CONCERNING SOME OF
THE SCHOOLS THAT WEREN'T ACCREDITED.
LINDENWOOD, IF YOU GUYS COME TO SOME UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT'S
GOING TO HAPPEN, THE STATE IS NOT GOING TO TAKE OVER SCHOOLS
OR -- >> I CAN COMMENT ON THAT.
WE DON'T HAVE THE DEFINITIVE ANSWER YET IN TERMS OF WHAT
THAT'S GOING TO MEAN. I FEEL AS IF THE STATE DOESN'T
KNOW HOW THEY'RE GOING TO ACTUALLY DO THAT.
THEY'RE BUILDING A COMMITTEE. THEY'RE GOING TO PUT IT INTO
PLACE AND WE HAVE TWO SCHOOLS THAT ARE -- THAT WILL BE
CANDIDATES, AND SO THAT WOULD BE RUFFNER AND LAFAYETTE, AND SO --
>> LINDENWOOD IS NOT ONE? >> NOT IN THE REPORT THAT I
RECEIVED. IT WASN'T DOWN.
IT'S CHANGING, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT DEPENDS ON THE FINAL THAT THEY
ROLL OUT. WE DID HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO
MEET WITH OFFICIALS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF ED AT THE STATE
LEVEL AS WELL AS LEGISLATORS IN RICHMOND AROUND THIS TO TALK
ABOUT THE MEASURES THAT WE ALREADY HAVE IN PLACE AND SO WE
HAVE SOME BUSINESS THIS WEEK TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE DOING
AND TO DETERMINE, AND I THINK THAT WILL CHIEFLY DETERMINE WHAT
THE NEXT STEPS MIGHT BE, SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE SOME
ANSWERS ON THAT. >> BUT NOTHING IS THERE --
THEY'RE NOT GOING TO HOLD FUNDING, THE STATE HAS COME IN
AND TAKEN ON A COUPLE SCHOOLS, THEY -- THERE'S A PROCESS I'M
ASSUMING HAS TO TAKE PLACE. >> ABSOLUTELY AND WHEN WE FIND
OUT, YOU'LL FIND OUT. [ LAUGHTER ]
>> WE'RE WAITING ON THOSE ANSWERS.
>> DR. KING, I JUST WANT TO ECHO WHAT MR. JORDAN SAID BECAUSE HE
AND I THINK A LOT ALIKE. WE THINK VERY DIVERGENTLY, BUT
WE HAVE A DIVISION THAT HAS MANY NEEDS AND MANY CHALLENGES AND WE
OUTLINED THOSE FOR YOU. THERE ARE ALSO MANY BRIGHT
SPOTS. BETWEEN THE SPECIALTY PROGRAMS
AT THE HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL.
LAST YEAR THE GRADUATING CLASS OF 2012 EARNED $30 MILLION WORTH
OF COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS. THAT'S SOMETHING TO BE VERY
PROUD OF. WE HAD TWO GATES MILLENNIUM
SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS, ONE FROM LAKE TAYLOR AND THE OTHER ONE
FROM BOOKER T., RIGHT? WE HAD TWO -- I'VE JUST FOUND
OUT THAT, HEARD THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE THAT MAURY HAS TWO
MERIT SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS, SO WE HAVE MOVING FORWARD.
WE FEEL WE HAVE THE PROPER LEADERSHIP IN PLACE.
THE SCHOOL SYSTEM HAS BEEN IN TURMOIL FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS,
AND NOW WE'RE GETTING THE SHIP TURNED AROUND AND WE HAVE THE
UTMOST CONFIDENCE IN DR. KING AND HIS TEAM TO DO THAT, AND AS
MR. JORDAN STATED, IF YOU INVEST IN THE SCHOOLS, PEOPLE WILL
INVEST IN THE CITY AND THAT'S WHAT EVERYBODY IS GOING TOWARD.
>> PAUL CAN I -- >> SURE.
>> I HAVE THIS KIND OF BLOCKED OUT.
I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS -- >> AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO
TAKE -- >> I HAVEN'T HEARD YET, I'VE
SEEN THIS BUDGET, BUT I WANT TO KNOW FROM YOU ALL, IS THIS WHAT
YOU NEED TO MAKE PROGRESS? AND IF YOU FEEL THIS IS IT, THIS
IS ENOUGH -- LIKE I'M READING 80 INSTRUCTIONAL OR LITERACY
TEACHERS. ONE PER SCHOOL.
WHAT WE WOULD -- >> ONE MATH AND ONE READING.
>> IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT THERE'S SOME SCHOOLS THAT WOULD
USE THREE, AND SO JUST KIND OF A -- OKAY, MAYBE TWO.
BUT I'M JUST KIND OF LOOKING AT THIS COOKIE-CUTTER APPROACH AND
ARE YOU DOING THAT BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE
CAN PLOW OR ARE YOU DOING SOMETHING BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT
YOU NEED TO GO FORWARD? I'D LIKE TO HEAR THAT FROM YOU
ALL. I'M REALLY VERY PLEASED WITH
THIS PRESENTATION, I THINK IT'S OUR BEST DIALOGUE FOR A VERY,
VERY, VERY LONG TIME, BUT I NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU WHAT YOU ALL
NEED AND WHAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE TO GET YOU TO THAT, AND THEN
SECONDLY, I THINK YOU'VE HEARD THIS FROM ME BEFORE, BUT I'M
GOING TO SAY IT AGAIN. I'M TOTALLY IN SUPPORT FOR TWO
CENTS. I COULD BE IN SUPPORT FOR FIVE
PENNIES, BUT I'M NOT POSITIVE THAT BUILDING TWO MORE SCHOOLS
IS OUR BEST *** FOR THE BUCK. WE'VE GOT TO HAVE BRIGHT
SCHOOLS, WE'VE GOT TO HAVE TECH NO LOGIC SCHOOLS, WE'VE GOT TO
HAVE BATHROOMS THAT WORK, BUT THERE ARE PLENTY OF SCHOOL
SYSTEMS THAT DON'T BUILD ONE OR TWO SCHOOLS EVERY THREE OR FOUR
YEARS AND YET, THEY DO VERY WELL, AND I WOULD BE VERY MUCH
IN SUPPORT OF TWO TO THREE TO FIVE CENTS IF YOU NEEDED IT TO
SPEND FOR SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO ACADEMICALLY PUSH US AHEAD,
AND I'M NOT HEARING FROM YOU ALL WHETHER YOU THINK NEW SCHOOLS IS
IT, AND IF IT IS, I CAN SUPPORT THAT, BUT PERSONALLY, I FEEL WE
WOULD DO MUCH BETTER TO USE THAT POT OF MONEY TO PUSH THE
ACADEMICS AHEAD AND PERHAPS SPRUCE UP SOME OF THE BUILDINGS
THAT WE HAVE. DO YOU HAVE AN ANSWER FOR THAT
OR IS THAT LIKE HERDING CATTLE? >> SO YEARS AGO, MGT SAID WE
NEEDED $750 MILLION TO DEVELOP OUR FULL INFRASTRUCTURE.
THAT'S ONE KEY. TOMMY, YOU TALKED ABOUT CHIPPING
AT A BLOCK OF ICE. IT'S CHIPPING AT A GLACIER.
I MEAN, SO THE OTHER PIECE IS, WE HAVE 10,000, ROUGHLY,
STUDENTS WHO ARE READING AND/OR DOING MATH BELOW GRADE LEVEL.
WE WOULD ASK YOU AS A BOARD TO FULLY FUND THIS BUDGET, BUT TO
LOOK AT IT AS THE DOWN PAYMENT OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS,
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING WITH THE INCREASE THAT WE ASKED
THE CITY FOR, ROUGHLY $300 PER STUDENT WHO IS BELOW GRADE LEVEL
AT THIS POINT IN TIME. YOU'RE ASKING, AND I LOVE THIS
CONVERSATION BECAUSE WE'RE ALL TALKING ABOUT THE SAME THING.
YOU'RE ASKING IF THAT'S ENOUGH MONEY TO TURN US AROUND.
THAT'S THE BEGINNING SMALL SUM THAT WE AS A BOARD BELIEVE IS
NECESSARY TO BEGIN TO TURN US AROUND.
YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT BUILDING SCHOOLS AND WE'VE ALL TALKED
ABOUT BUILDING SCHOOLS, NOT FOR NOW BUT THE FUTURE, AND, YOU
KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT, WELL, THERE'S $22 MILLION, I BELIEVE,
SET ASIDE, IF THAT'S CORRECT, PER SCHOOL IN THE FIVE SCHOOLS
IN SIX YEARS. AND WE DON'T WANT TO BUILD
SCHOOLS THAT, WHEN THEY OPEN, AREN'T FUTURE-ORIENTED.
I MEAN, WE HAVE TO BUILD THEM FOR NOW AND I WAS A LITTLE BIT
INVOLVED WHEN WE BUILT MONROE, AND THE DAY IT WAS OPENED, IT
WAS NOT SUFFICIENT FOR THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY.
SO WE'RE ASKING YOU, REALLY, TO FULLY FUND THIS BUDGET AS
LITERALLY THE DOWN PAYMENT ON THE ACADEMICS, BECAUSE NEXT
YEAR, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, 10,000 KIDS THIS YEAR, AND
LET'S SAY WE GET DOWN TO 8,000 KIDS NEXT YEAR WHO AREN'T
READING ON GRADE LEVEL, YOU KNOW.
70 TO -- LIKE ONE TO 70 IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF NEW TEACHERS WE
HIRE AGAINST THE NUMBER OF KIDS WHO, YOU KNOW, ARE READING AND
DOING MATH BELOW GRADE LEVEL. SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, THIS
IS NOT ENOUGH. THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF TRYING
TO FIT THE CUTS THAT HAVE OCCURRED OVER -- FIX THE CUTS
THAT HAVE OCCURRED OVER A GOODLY NUMBER OF YEARS.
>> WELL, LET ME -- AND I DON'T WANT TO BE HEAVY.
I MEAN, THIS -- THE CUTS THAT HAVE OCCURRED HAVE BEEN
LARGELY -- LET ME, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE YOU LOOK AROUND --
YOU'RE LOOKING US IN THE EYE AND THE MONEY FROM THE CITY HAS
STAYED FIRM FOR -- WE ALL NEED TO BE GOOD STEWARDS, YOU KNOW,
AND I'M CONVINCED THAT -- I MEAN, THE BUILDING THAT WAS
BUILT IN 1929, TERRI, YOU ARE NOT GOING TO PATCH AND AFTER A
WHILE, THOSE KIDS WILL JUST -- THE PARENTS WILL GO TO --
>> THE PERFORMING ARTS SCHOOL COMES TO --
>> YEAH, I MEAN. I TRIED TO MAKE --
>> BUT IF MONEY IS FALLING OUT OF TREES, WE COULD BUILD
A MILLION NEW SCHOOLS, BUT THEY'RE NOT, SO WHY CAN'T WE GET
THE BEST *** FOR OUR BUCK. >> THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET
AT. ALSO, THE MANAGER HAS TALKED
ABOUT SOME STRATEGIES. HE'S PROPOSED $3 MILLION IN THE
BUDGET AND THE COUNCIL HAS TO LOOK AT IT, BUT HE'S TALK ABOUT
SOME STRATEGIES HOW YOU MIGHT GET WHERE YOU WANT TO BE AND
STILL HIRE THE 80 TEACHERS AND STILL DO EVERYTHING IN THE
CLASSROOM THAT YOU NEED TO DO, AND I THINK YOU NEED TO LOOK AT
SOME OF IT. I MEAN, JUST THINGS LIKE, YOU
KNOW, PRIVATIZING THE CUSTODIAL PIECES.
I MEAN, THINGS THAT ARE NOT -- WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT, YOU
KNOW, ONE MATH TEACHER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I MEAN, JUST LOOK AT WAYS THAT YOU CAN SAVE MONEY SO WE CAN
BRING THIS TOGETHER. YOU'VE GOT, IN YOUR BUDGET,
THERE'S $5 MILLION FOR THE 80 STAFF MEMBERS, 40 MATH AND 40
READING FOLKS. I MEAN, DOES THAT ASSUME
EVERYONE OF THEM WILL BE ON THE JOB JULY 1st?
IS THAT -- YOU WILL BE ABLE TO HIRE 80 PEOPLE ON JULY 1?
>> THAT WOULD BE OUR INTENT. >> I KNOW, BUT I MEAN, WE ALL
MANAGE OUR MONEY, WE ALL DO THAT.
EVEN THE MANAGER MANAGES STAFF AND THAT IS $62,500 A TEACHER.
IS THAT WHAT THAT WOULD COST? DR. KING, IS THAT WHAT THAT
WOULD COST? >> YES, IT ALSO MEANS TO THE
POINT THAT WAS ASKED EARLIER ABOUT THE VITAL NEEDS, IT MEANS
THAT IT ALLOWS US TO NOT JUST ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF THE
THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS THAT ARE OVER GRADE LEVEL, BECAUSE THAT'S
ABOUT THE SAFETY NET, BUT I MENTIONED EARLIER THAT ARE THERE
ARE CHILDREN THAT ARE ALREADY PERFORMING THAT WE WILL BE ABLE
TO PROVIDE THE ENRICHMENT AROUND AND GIVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO MOVE
THOSE INDIVIDUALS TO LOCATIONS AS WE NEED IT ON A MONTHLY BASIS
BASED ON WHAT THE ANALYSIS TELLS US.
THAT'S WHY THAT'S IMPORTANT. SO EVERYTHING BEFORE YOU IS
CENTERING ON THE NEEDS OF STUDENTS, REALTIME RESULTS.
>> THAT WASN'T MY QUESTION. ALL I'M SAILING, WE ALL NEED --
SAYING, WE ALL NEED TO BE GOOD STEWARDS.
>> THAT WAS SOMETHING I THOUGHT WAS IMPORTANT TO YOUR QUESTION.
>> IT IS, BUT WE ALL NEED TO BE GOOD STEWARDS OF THE MONEY AND
THAT WAS MY POINT AND I DON'T KNOW THAT WE CAN HIRE 80
TEACHERS STARTING JULY THE 1st. WHEN YOU HIRE TEACHERS, WHEN DO
THEY START? I MEAN, WHEN YOU HIRE A NEW
TEACHER, WOULD THEY NORMALLY START THE 1st OF JULY OR THE 1st
OF AUGUST? I MEAN --
>> IN THE FALL. >> THAT'S OKAY, I MADE THE --
>> I DON'T THINK IT -- >> THEN YOU GOT TO HELP THEM.
>> WE DON'T WANT TO -- >> GO AHEAD.
>> CAN I SUGGEST, WE ALL ARE (INAUDIBLE).
THE SUGGESTION AS PAUL MENTIONED, HOW WE BRIDGE THAT
GAP, THE JANITORIAL THING, PRIVATIZING, SCRUBBING OLD
DORMANT ACCOUNTS, HAVE YOU BEEN THROUGH EVERYTHING -- I KNOW ONE
YEAR, I KNOW THAT'S NOT A LONG-TERM SOLUTION, BUT IT'S A
BRIDGING THE GAP SOLUTION. WE DID IT THIS YEAR WITH THE
CITY AND DONE IT A COUPLE OF YEARS AND FOUND DORMANT ACCOUNTS
WITH MONEY THAT HASN'T BEEN SPENT, THAT TYPE THING.
HAVE WE GOT SOMEBODY SCREENING, TO SIT DOWN AND GO OVER THESE
IDEAS THAT DOES NOT AFFECT THE QUALITY OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM?
THEY SEEM TO BE REASONABLE -- >> I'M NOT SCHOOL BOARD, I'M NOT
AN EDUCATOR. >> I'M HAPPY TO HEAR THAT.
I CAN SAY ANY ENTITY CAN TAKE A LOOK AT ANOTHER'S BUDGET AND
DETERMINE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HOW YOU CAN CHANGE, YOU KNOW,
AND I'M SURE WE CAN DO THE SAME IF WE TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR BUDGET
AS WELL. >> I'M NOT INSINUATING YOU
DIDN'T DO A PROPER JOB. >> I UNDERSTAND THAT.
>> I'M JUST SAYING IT'S EASY TO SAY WHAT WE NEED.
WE GOT TO GET THERE. >> SURE.
WE'RE ALL -- >> AND THERE WERE GOOD
SUGGESTIONS IN OUR BUDGET THAT MAY OR MAY NOT WORK.
I MEAN, PRIVATIZING, I DON'T SEE -- I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT
COULD POSSIBLY NEGATIVELY INFLUENCE --
>> AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, THE PROS AND CONS
OF THAT AND HOW LONG WOULD THAT -- CONSIDERABLE HOW LONG
THAT WOULD TAKE -- CONSIDERING HOW LONG THAT WOULD TAKE BECAUSE
IT'S NOT JUST FACTS AND FIGURES. IT'S ALSO ABOUT THE SERVICES
THAT IS BEING OFFERED AS WELL. >> YOU'VE GOT A COMPANY MANAGING
YOU NOW BECAUSE YOU GUYS DON'T HAVE ANY EQUIPMENT.
THEY USE THEIR EQUIPMENT, THEY MANAGE THE PEOPLE THAT YOU HAVE.
>> RIGHT. THE EMPLOYEES ARE ACTUALLY
EMPLOYED BY THEM. >> TWO QUICK THINGS.
THE FIRST ONE IS ABOUT THE RECOMMENDATION TO DELAY THE
SALARIES UNTIL JANUARY, I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF HEARTBURN WHEN I
HEARD THAT. TEACHERS ARE REQUIRED TO
MAINTAIN CERTIFICATION. CITY EMPLOYEES, A LITTLE BIT
DIFFERENT. NOT EVERY CITY EMPLOYEE HAS TO
BE HIGHLY QUALIFIED, WHEREAS TEACHERS HAVE TO, AND I DO HAVE
SOME ISSUE WITH THAT NOTION THAT WE HAVE TO BE EQUAL WITH CITY
EMPLOYEES. I KNOW IT'S HARD TO GO TO THE
CITY EMPLOYEES AND I RESPECT WHAT THEY DO AND I'M IN FAVOR OF
SALARY INCREASES, BUT TEACHING IS A DIFFERENT TYPE OF
PROFESSION AND THE AMOUNT OF WORK AND TIME THAT HAS TO GO
INTO JUST MAINTAINING THAT -- TO DELAY THAT I THINK IS AN INSULT.
I'VE ALREADY HEARD FROM TEACHERS BASED OFF THE HEADLINE, IT'S
KIND OF AN INSULT TO SAY WE'RE ON EQUAL PLAYING FIELD WITH CITY
EMPLOYEES. THE SECOND THING IS, I'M CURIOUS
WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD'S OWN IN THIS BUDGET THAT YOU RECEIVED,
THERE'S $500,000 THAT'S BEEN PUT IN FOR CONSTRUCTING A FIELDHOUSE
FOR LAKE TAYLOR, AND I HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT MAKING THAT A
PRIORITY RIGHT NOW WHEN WE HAVE ISSUES SUCH AS HIRING MATH AND
READING SPECIALISTS. I LOVE LAKE TAYLOR HIGH SCHOOL
AND I'M PROUD OF WHAT THE FOOTBALL TEAM DID, BUT I'M
CONCERNED THAT THERE COULD BE SOMETHING HAPPENING WITH THAT
SCHOOL IN THE LONG TERM, SO WHY IS THAT MONEY -- BOOKER T.
DESERVES A FIELDHOUSE TOO. I JUST THINK THAT, YOU KNOW,
RIGHT NOW THAT MAYBE AT A COUNCIL LEVEL, WHEN WE CONTINUE
OUR DISCUSSIONS, I DON'T NECESSARILY THINK THAT THAT'S A
PRIORITY OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, AND I'D LIKE TO HEAR THAT FROM
YOU BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT COULD BE INCLUDED IN
TEACHER-DESIGN PLANS OF LAKE TAYLOR.
$500,000 IS A LOT OF MONEY AND FOOTBALL DOES GENERATE
EXCITEMENT AND THINGS, BUT IT DOESN'T GENERATE THE MONEY THAT
I THINK INVESTING IN OUR TEACHERS AND OUR SCHOOLS WOULD,
AND SO I'M JUST CURIOUS THE OPINION OF SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS
ON THAT BUDGET ITEM. ANYBODY WANT TO --
>> I JUST WANTED TO SAY HOW EXCITED WE ARE THAT THE NEXT FEW
WEEKS, WE HAVE A MEETING TALKING ABOUT STRATEGIC FACILITIES
ANALYSIS STUDY AND WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO TO HAVE A COHERENT
AND COORDINATED PLAN FOR FACILITIES AND CERTAINLY THAT
WILL BE ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT WILL NEED TO BE DISCUSSED.
WHERE TO PUT EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS TO ENHANCE THE EARLY
CHILDHOOD TRAINING WILL BE THERE.
SCHOOL COMBININGS WILL BE THERE. CTE WILL BE THERE.
THAT OCCURS, I BELIEVE, DR. ROBINSON ON THE 24th.
FOLLOWING THAT TIME WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO GIVE -- I THINK EACH OF
YOU HAS RAISED QUESTIONS LAST TIME, YOU RAISED THEM AGAIN THIS
TIME. MR. PROTOGYROU RAISED SOME
QUESTIONS AND I THINK YOU WILL BE EXCITED WITH THE HOLISTIC AND
COORDINATED ANSWER. >> I NEED AN ANSWER FROM THE
SCHOOL BOARD IF THE FIELDHOUSE IS A PRIORITY BECAUSE WHEN WE
START DISCUSSING THIS AT THE NEXT FOUR WEEKS, COUNCIL WILL
MOVE THAT $500,000 INTO A DIFFERENT LINE ITEM, AND IF IT'S
NOT A PRIORITY FOR THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW
THAT SO THAT WE CAN -- THAT'S $500,000.
>> AND A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE DON'T CONSIDER A BRIGHTER.
>> IF THIS SCHOOL BOARD HAS THE SAME SENTIMENT AS THE ONES -- A
PARTICULAR BOARD IN THE PAST, WE WOULDN'T HAVE A FIELDHOUSE IN
BOOKER T. OR LAKE TAYLOR, SO WE GUIDED IN THE CITY THAT WE WERE
GOING TO BUILD, SO THIS WOULD BE THE SAME THING.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO GIVE THE SCHOOL BOARD THE MONEY UNLESS
YOU MAKE THE CHOICES. IF YOU BUILD A FIELDHOUSE, WE'RE
GOING TO BUILD BOTH OF THEM, SO THE ONLY MATTER IS WHAT THEY
WANT TO DO, BUT IF THEY DO IT, WE NEED TO DO IT OTHER PLACES.
[ ALL SPEAKING AT ONCE ] >> I AGREE WITH THAT.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO SPEND THAT MONEY, SPEND IT ON COMPUTERS.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT. OKAY.
I THINK THE DISCUSSION HAS BEEN HEALTHY.
THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING IN. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO FOR US
AND FOR OUR CHILDREN. >> YES, THANK YOU.
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