By Jim Tuttle
Smithfield Times Staff Writer
Closing Windsor Middle School was one of 35 suggested cuts proposed by Isle of Wight School officials last week in a series of public meetings.
But some employees countered that the School Board and administrators should look at salary cuts as a way to solve the impending budget crisis.
Closing Windsor Middle School is expected to save $903,000 a year.
In early January, division officials told the Isle of Wight Capital Improvements Committee that the building was 60 years old and has a long list of issues, such as plumbing, electricity, windows and more.
They requested that a new building, at an estimated cost of $20 million, be included in the county’s new Capital Improvement Plan.
“In our opinion there is no greater need,” Schools Director of Finance Steve Jenkins had said.
The committee recommended that plans for a new school be put off for six years.
But at two public meetings last week, school administrators told residents that closing the school permanently was one possible solution to the budget crunch.
More than 150 people showed up at the second meeting, Thursday at Westside Elementary School. The proposed closure and other potential cuts were discussed.
Greg Willis, a Windsor Town Council member, said he had “grave concerns” that closing the school would be akin to “cutting your nose off to spite your face.”
“Let’s think a little outside the box,” Willis said.
He suggested that perhaps the Board members should give up their compensation for the coming year, a remark that met with some applause.
Closing the middle school is one of 35 cuts the superintendent of Isle of Wight Schools has recommended to deal with a multi-million dollar budget deficit.
Also on the list of potential cuts is the elimination of seven library clerk positions, replacing in-school suspension with after school detention, delaying technology upgrades, eliminating tuition assistance and supply reimbursements for teachers and putting off buying new elementary social studies textbooks.
Fifteen percent reductions are also proposed for four areas of the budget — central office accounts, school plant facilities, transportation and technology.
“This is very preliminary. These are items that are being considered for inclusion in the budget proposal,” Schools Spokesperson Katherine Goff said.
During Thursday’s meeting, Windsor High School teacher Rhonda Gibbs said she “would gladly give up” five days pay and take a pay cut “in order to save these positions.”
She is concerned that the school closure would be unfair to students in the southern end of Isle of Wight.
“I would like to see the education at the southern end of the county be the same as the northern end,” Gibbs said.
Schools employee Alison Chapman said she does not support a cut in pay.
“All of us are concerned about losing colleagues and friends, and we’re thinking with our emotions,” she said.
“I want us to be very cautions about that. If we adapt our pay scale, years from now … are new teachers going to come to this county if the pay scale is lower?”
The budget crisis and Superintendent Michael McPherson’s suggested solutions were first discussed publicly during a work session at Windsor Elementary School Wednesday evening. About 40 parents, teachers and other school personnel gathered to listen.
“You are not going to hear a lot of good things,” School Board Chairman David Goodrich said to the audience before the presentation began.
“These are figures that I think will simply astound you.”
Between an anticipated $1.51 million reduction in state funding and an estimated increase of nearly $1 million to continue existing services, the division faces a deficit of about $2.45 million — if county funding remains the same.
There is also the potential for a reduction of about $1.47 million in county funding to the division, Schools Finance Director Steve Jenkins said.
“This is unprecedented. We’ve never seen such a decline,” he said.
There is no way to avoid an effect on instructional quality with such a drastic shortfall, Goff said in a phone interview Thursday.
“Budget cuts of this magnitude, no matter how we make these cuts, will impact the quality of education our students receive. That said, we are doing everything possible to maintain programs and services for our students.”
According to the presentation, the plan to close Windsor Middle would save about $903,000. That savings includes the elimination of four grade-level teachers, one business teacher, the principal and assistant principal, clerical staff, the nurse and the media specialist.
The reduced utilities expenses, custodial services and maintenance to the building would also contribute to the savings.
If the school were closed, 7th and 8th grade students would be moved to Windsor High School and 6th graders would go to elementary schools, McPherson said.
“With that school, which is in need of replacement, not being on the [county’s] CIP right now, this was one recommendation the superintendent made to the school board,” Goff said.
On Thursday, McPherson said the building is in poor condition, and that there could be benefits to moving the students out.
“We felt that this move would at least put those students in a better learning environment.”
The school closure is one of 18 suggested cuts on a list totaling about $2.45 million.
A second list contains further cuts that are recommended in the event that county funding is reduced as well, bringing the total deficit to about $3.12 million.
That list includes the elimination of nine lead teachers, six assistant principals, eight teaching positions, five intervention specialists and 12.5 instructional assistant positions. The elimination of the preschool program, which includes 10 positions, is also suggested.
More secondary suggestions include the introduction of $75 athletic participation fees to generate revenue, and eliminating participation in New Horizons Governor’s School.
“We were trying to think of everything that we could … this is a starting point,” McPherson said.
He added that public input would be taken into consideration before the preliminary budget proposal is presented to the School Board, at its Feb. 11 meeting. A public hearing on the proposed budget has been scheduled for March 11.
Middle school targeted for closure
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