Virginia educators consider options to cut budgets

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Public school superintendents are considering increasing class sizes, slashing teacher positions and cutting programs to deal with expected budget cuts, a group representing the school leaders said Tuesday.

The Virginia Association of School Superintendents began surveying the state's 133 school districts earlier this month. About half have responded so far, with 89 percent saying they were considering increasing pupil-to-teacher ratios, 91 percent considering cutting teaching jobs and half looking at cutting programs such as summer school, assistance for at-risk students and services for 4 year olds.

``If the term 'Doomsday Budget' sets off an alarm, well good, because it is time to be alarmed,'' said Milton Liverman, president of the organization and superintendent of Suffolk City Schools.

Virginia's public schools face hundreds of millions in budget cuts over the next two years. Many of the proposed cuts target support staff, including secretaries, janitors, guidance counselors and other non-teaching positions.

Republican Del. Kirk Cox, a public school teacher in Chesterfield County, said legislators have no choice but to go after support staff.

``If you look at the growth of teachers in the classroom versus support staff over the last 10 years, support staff has grown exponentially,'' Cox said. ``I think we have to try to keep as much money in the classroom as we can.''

The superintendents also asked lawmakers to delay state mandates like new graduation requirements and the development of middle school career plans in an effort to minimize the negative effects of the budget cuts.

The new mandates will significantly increase teacher workloads at a time when class sizes will go up, salaries likely will go down and teacher contract days will be reduced, said Philip Worrell, Greensville/Emporia County Schools superintendent.

Worrell said the increased demands with lower funding likely will result in fewer fully accredited schools in the future.

``Virginia school divisions rose to the challenge of earlier mandates,'' he said. ``With proper resources, we will rise to the challenged of these mandates. However expecting school divisions to meet new mandates at a time when resources are being reduced is not realistic.''

The group also spoke out against the expansion of charter schools, something that President Obama touted earlier in the day and Gov. Bob McDonnell called for the night before in his first State of the Commonwealth address.

Charter schools are funded with public money but operate independently of local school boards. Virginia currently has three statewide, with another one opening in the spring.

``It is the government that has created the laws and regulations that now hamstring our public schools,'' said Alan T. Lee, superintendent of Washington County Schools. ``Instead of seeking to liberalize the charter school creation process, I challenge our new governor and the legislature to life the mantle of regulation ... which work against Virginia public schools.''

Virginia legislators have until March to reconcile a $4 billion budget deficit that threatens not only education funding, but money for public safety, health care and other core services.