A discussion of issues heading into the upcoming 2024-2025 Mathews County Public Schools’ budget cycle eventually took on a wider focus. Members of the board of supervisors and school board spoke about long-term needs of the division, including floating the idea of a bond issue at some point in the near future to address neglected capital projects.
Members of the two boards sat across the table from one another at a joint work session Tuesday night in the Brooks Auditorium at Thomas Hunter Middle School.
Superintendent of Schools Dr. David S. Daniel began the meeting, reviewing budget figures over the past two years, the county’s Local Composite Index, declining enrollment, the current status of teachers and staff, and other factors related to developing this year’s budget.
Between FY 2023 and FY 2024, Mathews County experienced a decrease of roughly $1 million in state revenue, as well as a drop of $383,000 in federal school funds, primarily as a result of declining enrollment. The local contribution filled some of that gap, with an increase of roughly $400,000 in local tax dollars.
Since 2003, enrollment in Mathews County Public Schools has steadily dropped from nearly 1,300 students to the current figure of 770 students.
In 2023-2024, the division had 224 full- and part-time staff. This year, that figure stands at 202 employees, with seven positions currently vacant.
The conversation soon turned to maintenance needs. School board member Bobby Dobson mentioned the leaking roof at Mathews High School, which he said has resulted in the need for buckets to catch the water after a storm. Daniel said that estimates for the roof repair range from $800,000 to $1.4 million.
Those estimates are “absolutely absurd,” said supervisor Dave Jones, who is a building contractor himself. “That building has leaked from its inception,” he said, adding that the leaks are caused by a flashing problem, which would be the only breach in the ceiling. “I’ll help y’all solve this problem,” he said.
Daniel also mentioned the division’s Local Composite Index, which stands at .5904 for the 2024-2026 biennium. That figure (based on such things as property values) is used by the state to calculate the support it provides to the division, meaning that the locality is expected to pay about 60 percent of the school division’s staffing needs, based on the state’s Standards of Quality. For comparison purposes, West Point’s LCI is .2489 and Gloucester’s is .3999, with both of those localities receiving a larger share of state support. Also, the SOQs don’t truly reflect what it takes to run a school system, leaving the locality on the hook for additional costs, Daniel explained.
During the roughly 2½-hour meeting, the boards went into a deep dive in such issues as class sizes, reasons for teachers and other school employees leaving the division, and teacher salaries compared to neighboring divisions. On that last point, Daniel reported some progress as a result of the county providing a 5 percent raise, plus step on the salary scale. But as teachers gain years of experience, the gap widens with teachers with 30 years in the system earning about 13 percent more in Gloucester and 11.3 percent more in West Point. With retirement pay based on a teacher’s highest three years of pay, those nearing retirement often look to other divisions to finish their careers.
Daniel reviewed the division’s priorities, starting with increasing student achievement, recruiting and retaining quality staff, and addressing the facility needs.
On that last issue, Dobson pointed out the aging facilities, with Mathews High School approximately 90 years old, Thomas Hunter around 60 and Mathews Elementary, the newest school in the division, at 30 years.
Supervisor Tom Bowen asked if it is better to invest in these old facilities, or consider a new campus. “What is the best investment,” he asked.
Supervisor Mike Walls suggested that the two boards find a Saturday for an all-day work session to sit down and address the division’s priorities.
“There has been so much neglected here,” Bowen said. “We need to get moving forward.” Bowen suggested that the county look to its needs as much as 20 years in the future, and said the county needs to get it right the first time.
Members of both boards spoke about the need to get input from the staff and community at large. Supervisor Tim Doss suggested holding a town hall after a list is developed to get comments from the public about the needs. School board member Linda Hodges suggested adding a component to the upcoming town hall to get input about the citizens’ “wish list.”
The school board has a town hall scheduled for 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 24, in the Brooks Auditorium to hear from residents on everything related to the school division.
“The main thing is we’ve started a discussion,” Walls said. School board chair Dr. Mari Gibbs called it “Step 1 on a bazillion step journey.” The two boards spoke about setting aside a Saturday sometime in November to start the discussion of needs.
The school board’s next monthly meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Brooks Auditorium.