School board OKs budget

By MELINA DOWNS
For the Stafford County Sun
Published: May 14, 2008

STAFFORD — Budget reduction concerns continued to plague the Stafford County School Board on Tuesday night as it approved the 2009 fiscal year budget.
Several representatives from the Stafford Education Association spoke during the citizen comments section of the meeting to voice concerns about pay for Stafford teachers and the possible consequences.

“We want to make it clear that even though it was a lack of a cost of living raise that spurred this action plan, the issues go much deeper,” said Jannette Martin, SEA president. “It is about value, support for education in general and three years of under funding.”

The school board included a stipend for all Stafford County Public Schools employees totaling approximately $1.2 million in lieu of a cost of living increase.
As a result, each full-time employee will receive a $300 stipend and full-time employees at the top of their pay scale will each receive an additional $400 on Dec. 1 instead of a cost of living pay increase.

The majority of school employees will also receive an average 2.5 percent pay “step increase.”

“My heart is broken,” said Madalin Bickel, a Stafford Middle School teacher and SEA member. “When I chose to become a teacher, I was very naïve…Stafford County has continued to make it clear that schools, public education and teachers are not important.”

In response to the Stafford County Board of Supervisors and school board decisions for the 2009 budget and what they describe as a cycle of “devaluization” the SEA will launch a 30-day “Restore Our Value” campaign May 19.

Among some of the campaign tactics under consideration by the SEA is the “work to the rule” tactic, which would include teachers working strictly 7.5 hour workdays. Therefore, many teachers would not stay after school to grade papers or volunteer for extra activities as they have in the past.

The SEA is also considering permanent protest and public/media event options.

“We are trying to stop the downward spiral of education and respect for education in Stafford,” said Martin. “The cuts we have experienced are more harmful than anything…enacting this plan will take a toll on us, but we believe that quality education is worth it.”

The Stafford County Board of Supervisors recently approved the Stafford County Public Schools’ budget with a $15.3 million shortfall.
This means that the Stafford County School Board’s proposed $292.8 million operating budget and bond debt service was approved minus $15.3 million.

Melina Downs is a contributing writer at the Stafford County Sun. Reach her at .