AT A SPECIAL JOINT MEETING OF THE RAPPAHANNOCK COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND THE RAPPAHANNOCK COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD HELD ON THE 20TH DAY OF MARCH, TWO THOUSAND AND TWELVE AT SEVEN O’CLOCK P.M. AT THE HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM IN WASHINGTON, VIRGINIA

Present	Present	Absent
Roger A Welch, Chairman S. Bryant Lee, Vice Chairman Ronald L. Frazier I. Christopher Parrish Michael J. Biniek	John McCarthy, Co. Adm. Margaret R. Ralph, Clerk

Present	Present	Absent
John Lesinski Paul A. Brown Amy Hitt Aline Johnson	Melbry Paratore, Clerk	Christopher Ubben

School Board Chairman, John Lesinski, call the School Board Meeting to order

Board of Supervisor Chairman Welch called the Supervisor’s meeting to order.

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited

On motion of Mr. Lesinski, seconded by Mr. Lee, the Agenda was unanimously approved.

Mr. Welch called for the Superintendent’s Review of the Proposed FY12-13 School Budget. Dr. Boone presented a detailed PowerPoint presentation on the development of the School Budget for FY12-13. Dr. Boone stressed the importance for a cooperative relationship between both Boards and the members of community. He continued saying that no matter how we feel about the budget, we can all agree that the public schools exist to make life better for our children. Education is a work in progress…improvement is necessary and costly… but our goal is high – the education of our children. (Presentation papers filed with the minutes).

Questions and Comments:

Mr. Lee inquired about future health care reform. Dr. Boone responded: health care costs and plans will be looked at to determine what type of plan will best suit the needs of the employees as well as budget constraints.

Mr. Lesinski, before commenting, announced that Chris Ubben was called away from this meeting on Sheriff’s business. He asked Dr. Boone to give some explanation on the VRS situation. At this time, the rate is based on a 5-5 Plan—a mandated 5% salary increase and a 5% VRS increase.

Mrs. Hitt asked about the number of children in kindergarten classes. She would not like the number to be greater than 22 per class.

Public Comment:

Amy Burnett, Hampton district, supports the proposed budget. She used an analogy to express her point: Chopped liver sells for about $2.49/lb and is not too tasty, but it’s makes you grow. A budget, even if it is expensive, is good for children. Our children are worth more than chopped liver.

Sharon Kilpatrick, Stonewall-Hawthorne, generally supports the budget, but questions the cost of the health insurance premiums.

Tom Junk, Piedmont, asked that when increases are looked at consideration should be given to the total compensation package that includes salary and benefits.

Hurley Smith, Hampton, is concerned about all the fiscal aspects of the budget. He was overwhelmed by the “numbers” in the proposed budget just given to the participants at this meeting. He felt that there was no time to review it and comment on it. Citizens are not the “vocal minority”…opinions need to be openly expressed.

(It was pointed out that there would be two other occasions for public comment: one at the next School Board meeting and the other at the April 30, 2012 public meeting.)

Jimmy Swindler, Stonewall-Hawthorne, Rappahannock teacher and athletic director, commented that no one likes tax increases, but neither do we like to struggle to hire qualified teachers because of our low pay scale and benefit package. He pointed out that the health benefit package was offered in lieu of raises.

Bill Frietag, Hampton, offered the following: when times get tough, it takes leadership and ingenuity to get through it. This doesn’t always mean an increase in taxes. The conventional mantra “the teachers will leave” does not always apply. Just look at the significant core of teachers we have now. Why do some stay and some leave. He charges the Boards to use some type of analysis to determine trends.

Ron Makela, Jackson, commented on the health insurance issue. Employer paid health insurance should be for the employee only. Additional coverage for spouses and children should be at the expense of the employee. The Boards need to look at different insurance packages not only for teachers but also for other employees.

Henry Gorfein, Hampton, agrees with Mr. Makela that everyone should receive the same benefits, but we should not take from some to give to others. Perhaps the packages could be retained for current employees with a new plan offered for new employees. Taxes have not been raised for 4 years and assessments have gone down. The tax rate does not cause the terrible burden on residents, it’s the high value of our property. He also thinks that the schools need to be an integral part of the community.

Steve Carroll, Stonewall-Hawthorne, took a macro-look at the budget. For the last 4 years the school board has presented a level-spending budget. Total increase is about $559,000, with $393,000 state mandated. So the increase is $166,000. He volunteers at the school and found that our teachers are truly dedicated. They have gone without raises and the one asked for is a modest one. We are a prosperous county, but the tax system is distorted because of agricultural and forestall uses, which shifts the burden for the taxes. He supports the proposed budget.

Shannon Grimsley, Luray VA, Instructional Coordinator, Rappahannock County Schools, addressed the question of “Why do teachers come here”. Rappahannock is a wonderful place to work and she is inspired when she is here. She pointed out that 1/3 of our teachers come from other counties.

Jeff Knight, Hampton, His wife is a former teacher, and he is not at war with teachers, but the theory that more spending will improve education is not always true. He attended last month’s School Board meeting and most of what was presented was new spending items. The boards need to explore the relationship between staffing and the employee levels, employee’s need to pay their fair share, and health insurance options. The School Board members are advocates of better schools, but not of decreasing budgets. The Board of Supervisors needs to be a balance in the process.

Barney O’Meara, Stonewall-Hawthorne – The public has been given a lot of information and not enough time to assimilate it. He took issue with Mr. Knight in trying to divide the boards. These Boards are working together and are of one mind – to educate our children. They are dedicated and give of their time freely. He hopes that we will all remember that our children are our

“common wealth”.

Kathryn Treanor, Jackson, has had children in the school system. She thanked the Boards for the opportunity to address them. Over the years she has worked in the schools, particularly with the Band, and each year teachers are asked to do more and more. Level funding has worked in the past because both boards have worked together to “squeeze out a bit more”. As a community, we need to do all that is necessary to support the education of our children.

Jeff Sabol, Piedmont, is a product of public education and he believes in it. He, too, thanked the boards for the opportunity to speak at this meeting. His observations of the school system have not always been positive: lead, mold, asbestos, rickety play grounds, etc. But a year and a half ago things changed. We installed a new administration, one with a can-do attitude. This administration would not tolerate the status quo – it advocated anti-bullying rules, school repairs and renovation, community outreach, and it was done in a constructively and politely. His point – we are fixing things that we let go…and this budget is continuing that. Please pass this budget.

Suzette Teal, Piedmont, has had children and grandchildren in the system since 1989. She is pleased with the advancements, especially in the area of special needs and after-school programs. Both have been very beneficial, not only to her family members but to others. Teachers should be rewarded with a raise.

Gary Light, Stonewall-Hawthorne that the Board members for the efforts put forth in the preparation of this meeting. We need to create a positive environment for our children and our staff. He was impressed with the money that the school returned to the general fund last year…this is a sign of fiscal responsibility. He helped with the new playground installation and it was a wonderful experience. He believes that the school should be the center of the community.

There being no further comments, Mr. Welch closed the Public Comment session.

Additional Board Comments:

Mr. Frazier inquired about the mileage on the buses to be replaced. Dr Boone responded that the mileages are high. Mr. Frazier also commented on the Wilson Reading Program, the teacher out-of-pocket expenses, and the claim that out children don’t have much to do here. He thanked the audience for comments and both boards for this joint meeting.

Mr. Parrish commented that when he was at the elementary school he was impressed with the attentiveness of the children who were smiling and happy. This is due, in part, to their teachers. These teachers are dedicated and most will stay even without raises. The problem in not being competitive is in the search for new teachers. He thanked all the volunteers for their service to the community.

Mr. Biniek thanked the audience for being at the meeting. He said it is very important for the Boards to hear their opinions and concerns. He also thanked Dr. Boone and the School Board members.

Mr. Lee commented on the need for the county to be competitive with surrounding counties when it comes to teacher salaries. He feels that the schools are doing a great job.

Mr. Brown commented on what our kids are missing. When education is at stake, money should not be a primary factor. He also spoke about the School Board’s attempts to cut the budget wherever possible.

Mrs. Hitt feels that the buses need to be replaced because they have very high mileage. A school bus is a necessity, not a “would like”. She also commented that many of the people who spoke against the proposed budget had already left without hearing what comments the board members might have.

Mrs. Johnson reminded the audience “it takes a village to educate a child”. She is confident that the Boards will work together to give our children the best.

Mr. Lesinski thanked everyone for attending the joint meeting. He continued that he appreciated the public’s desire to be a part of this process. He supports a raise for teachers and the proposed budget.

On motion of Mr. Lee, seconded by Mr. Biniek, the meeting was adjourned.

______________________________

Chairman