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Virginia legislature unlikely to adjourn on time

taberandrewThe Virginia legislature will likely not adjourn tomorrow as scheduled. Members of the House and Senate continue to negotiate in an effort to find common ground on fee increases and proposed cuts to K-12 education.

Read more below...

On time budget looks less and less likely (The Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Budget-talk tone makes Sat. adjournment possible (The Associated Press)

Virginia budget talks continue, deal unlikely tonight (The Washington Post)

 

 

Posted on Friday, March 12, 2010 - 2:49pm

School budgets a thorny issue throughout Virginia

Just about every school district in the Commonwealth is struggling with budget cuts -- a process of great interesoddharmonict to homeowners, whose taxes pay for programs. Maintaining quality education for district children while keeping taxes reasonable is even more challenging than usual because of cuts in state funding.

Read below to learn how districts are meeting the challenge.

Senate approves charter, virtual schools bills (Associated Press)

Va. Senate passes governor's plan to expand charter schools (The Washington Post)

Governor's School faces shaky future (The Roanoke Times)

Roanoke Schools may sue the state (The Roanoke Times)

Gloucester School Board weighs "redesign" of elementary school as cost-cutting move (Daily Press)

Newport News schools' budget shrinks $20 million, may get smaller (Daily Press)

York County schools budget on hold while General Assembly talks money (Daily Press) 

Salem schools explore options (The Roanoke Times)

Manassas Park ponders school budget cuts (News & Messenger)

District hoping to slip big cuts (Waynesboro News Virginian)

Posted on Wednesday, March 10, 2010 - 3:21pm

Large class sizes strain schools in Fairfax

For homeowners with school-aged children, get used to larger class sizes.  as the Generally Assembly enacts major budget cuts this year. In Fairfax County, increasingly large classes in local schools could begin to threaten student safety as well as student learning, according to school officials.

Fairfax County schools superintendent Jack Dale said local class sizes are getting to a point where officials would have to be careful about going over the maximum capacity allowed in some classrooms.

"Quite frankly, we are getting to the point in some schools where we are pushing the envelope in terms of the fire code," said Dale, during a budget presentation to the Fairfax County School Board Jan. 7.

Schools are being forced to cram 35 to 38 students into classrooms that were built to a 28-person capacity, said Dean Tistadt, Fairfax County Public Schools chief operating officer.

 

Read the full Connections Newspaper story...

Posted on Friday, February 12, 2010 - 1:21pm

Kaine Announces School Bond Package

Governor Kaine recently announced that $92 miliion in school bonds will be issued in order to fund much-needed improvements. The funds will be used for energy efficiency, renovation and construction for 133 projects in 23 localities.

For homeowners, a strong school system bolsters home values.

Read the full story...

Posted on Saturday, January 16, 2010 - 9:55am

Liberty University Alters Development Plans for Campbell County Tract

According to the Lynchburg News and Advance, Liberty University has revised its plans for developing a 200-acre land parcel at the intersection of Route 29 and U.S. 460. There have been several different versions, but the current one plans for an academic building and open space that may later be used for future retail development. For homeowners, it is important to remain informed about land use decisions in your region, as future development - whether it be commercial or residential - does indeed impact property values.

 

Read the fulll story...

 

 

Posted on Thursday, January 14, 2010 - 1:36pm

Loudoun Grapples with School Funding Amidst Rapid Growth

Like many high-growth localities, Loudoun is grappling with its school budget that will be finalized in April.  Projected school enrollments continue to rise quickly, but school leaders are questioning whether the local leaders will indeed allocate more funding for education, which they argue is desperately needed. In addition, state funding cuts may further hamper available revenue.  For homeowners, the quality of schools is a major factor in many home purchases. Thus, the marketing of your home for re-sale can be impacted by a long-term shift in the desirability of the public school system.

 

Read the full story in the Washington Post...

Posted on Wednesday, January 13, 2010 - 2:34pm

Chesterfield Cuts Could Force Closure of Governor’s Schools

Both of central Virginia's full-time governor's schools could face closure or major cut backs in operations if Chesterfield County no longer participates in them, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Chesterfield is facing it's own budget crisis and deciding where to make cutbacks, and sending students to the governor's schools is a popular option among employees.

The loss of these two schools could greatly impact the quality of education in the area because they provide opportunities not found in traditional high schools - which is a draw for families. Unique, quality educational programs are key for protecting property values, so even homeowners who do not have children in either of the governor's schools could be harmed by their closing.

"Central Virginia's two full-time governor's schools could face severe changes or even closure if Chesterfield County eliminates its participation in them.

Chesterfield school officials sent a survey to its employees Tuesday asking them to choose ways to cut nearly $40 million from its proposed fiscal 2011 budget.

Among the many options is to stop sending students to Appomattox Regional Governor's School for Arts and Technology in Petersburg and Maggie L. Walker Governor's School for Government and International Studies in Richmond.

In an impact statement accompanying the survey, Chesterfield acknowledges that if it ends its participation at the governor's schools, a $2 million savings, 'this option would likely result in both schools closing.'

Chesterfield is the largest school division represented at both schools. This year, the county has 224 students at Maggie Walker and 129 at Appomattox. Overall, that represents about one-third of the total students at each school.

'As the largest contributor of students and funds to these regional schools, we understand that not participating would have deep ramifications," Chesterfield schools spokesman Shawn Smith said yesterday. "It would put a tremendous burden on other school divisions, one that we realize may not be sustainable in these economic times.'

Appomattox's budget for fiscal 2010 is $4.4 million, and the school receives a little more than $1 million from the state. Maggie Walker's 2010 budget is $7.7 million, with about $1.9 million coming from the state."

 

Read the full story.

Posted on Friday, January 8, 2010 - 4:44pm

Prince William Proposes Incentive Bonuses for Teachers

The second-largest school system in Virginia, Prince William County, is considering incentive-based bonuses for teachers and administrators, according to the Washington Post.

The bonuses would be used to motivate and reward teachers that serve poor or challenging students.

This could be a great way to reward teachers, but also to strengthen struggling schools, which would be great for homeowners who live near under-performing schools. Good schools have a postive impact on the property value of surrounding homes.

"Prince William County school officials unveiled a plan Wednesday to offer bonuses to teachers and administrators in high-performing schools that serve poor or challenging students.

The plan, if approved by the School Board this month, will be submitted to the federal government for possible funding and could begin next school year.

Prince William, Virginia's second-largest school system, is one of scores across the country that are developing pay proposals tied to student performance thanks to new federal money and fresh interest from the nation's top education officials.

'We had talked about merit pay or performance pay informally over time. But when the Obama administration again came out and recommended those kinds of approaches . . . I just felt like it was time to stop talking about it and start moving forward,' said School Board member Grant E. Lattin (Occoquan), who asked officials to put together a plan.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan is offering $4.35 billion in federal "Race to the Top" grants to states that adopt innovative changes, including pay-for-performance plans. And President Obama's education budget dramatically expanded grants for local school systems to change their compensation systems."

Read the full story.

Posted on Friday, December 4, 2009 - 11:42pm

Lynchburg City School's Enrollment Drop Shows Signs of Slowing

Enrollment in Lynchburg City schools has jumped this year, contrasted to enrollment over the previous two years, according to the Lynchburg News & Advance.

The quality and appeal of schools is important to all homeowners, regardless if you have children attending the school. A school with a great reputation can have a positive impact on property values as families with young children desire to move into that school's district. And, the opposite is true for schools with bad reputations.

Changes in a school's enrollment, programming or location is of importance to homeowners.

"The enrollment drop in the Lynchburg City Schools may have slowed for now.

This year’s enrollment figures show an increase of five students, a departure from the drops in enrollment seen in 2007-2008 and 2008-2009. The numbers, compiled by school staff, reflect enrollment as of Sept. 30 of each year.

'I would like to think it’s because we are a wonderful school system, and so people came,' said Superintendent Paul McKendrick, laughing. More specifically, McKendrick cited new housing developments, the economic downturn, and the draw of unique Lynchburg City Schools programs.

At Tuesday’s joint school board and city council meeting McKendrick shared projections that Lynchburg high school enrollment would decline by almost 350 students through 2014, while elementary school enrollment would increase by 288 students. McKendrick said he wasn’t sure what reasons might be behind the projected decreases at the high school level and increases at the elementary school level. He shared the figures as a way of demonstrating that the system should not look at closing any of the elementary schools.

As far as the 2009-2010 figures, one of the biggest increases came at Heritage Elementary School, which gained 52 students this year and 123 students over the past four years."

Read the full story.

 

Posted on Thursday, November 19, 2009 - 6:42pm

Fairfax Schools May Change Bus Boundaries

Fairfax County students who typically ride the bus, may be walking to school, according to the Washington Post.

In effort to reduce childhood obesity, reduce transporation costs and ease traffic, school officials want to encourage more students to walk or bike to school.

The idea is fondly supported because the cost of putting a school bus on the road is equal to keeping a teacher on staff. This small change could greatly impact the strength of schools and health of the students.

As for homeowners, it is a win-win situation because any improvement in the school system positively affects home values, and less buses on the roads could improve traffic conditions.

"Almost everyone has a grandparent who claims to have walked two miles to school every morning. Uphill. In the snow. Etc.

In Fairfax County, it could soon be your 12-year-old trudging to school.

Hard times have a way of making old ideas seem new. With nothing but grim budgets ahead, some members of the Fairfax Board of Supervisors want the county's schools to save money on buses by encouraging more kids to walk to school, perhaps by moving back the boundaries for bus-riding eligibility.

It's an idea that has received more attention nationwide in recent years as a way to fight child obesity, reduce air pollution and ease traffic. It became especially popular when diesel fuel prices climbed to $4 a gallon a year ago, and it's popular now as governments struggle through the worst recession in generations.

The cost of putting a school bus on the street is approximately equal to keeping a teacher on staff, said Linda P. Farbry, director of transportation for Fairfax public schools.

It also doesn't hurt that the campaign -- especially the 'Walking School Bus' that encourages parents to coordinate neighborhood routes, wear safety vests and share escort duty -- fits with the baby boomer habit of reviving childhood practices. An oft-quoted study found that in 1969, 41 percent of students walked or bicycled to school. By 2001, that figure had dropped to 13 percent."

Read the full story.

Posted on Thursday, November 19, 2009 - 5:55pm