News and Information for Gloucester and Mathews, VA | Thursday, December 5, 2019 Vol. LXXXII, no. 49 NEW SERIES
subscriber/user login


  • Home
  • About
    • Subscribe
    • Log in
    • Place a Notice
    • Contact Us
  • News
    • Gloucester
    • Mathews
    • Business News
    • Opinion
    • Schools
    • Sports
    • Food
    • Weekly Church Listings
    • Order Hometown Albums
    • Church News
    • Events
    • Arts
    • Pets
    • Days Past
    • Community
    • Public Record
    • Special Events
  • Obits
  • Classifieds-Real Estate-Legals
    • Place an Ad
  • Store
    • Subscribe
    • Find Your Ancestors
    • Order Hometown Albums
    • Placemats
  • Log in
Home » News

School board takes issue with SRO funding

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | Posted on May 09, 2018 - 03:22 PM Printer Friendly View

A lengthy exchange over teacher compensation and lack of funding for School Resource Officers was the highlight of the May meeting of the Gloucester School Board.

During Tuesday night’s meeting in the T.C. Walker Education Center, school board member Robin Rice questioned superintendent Dr. Walter Clemons on the budget recently approved by county supervisors.

Citing information provided by county administrator Brent Fedors in his budget presentation, Rice took issue with what the supervisors termed “unfunded priorities.” These were, among other things, a lack of funding for new positions (including SROs) and a reduction in the proposed amount allotted for teacher compensation.

The increase in local funds was reduced in the school budget from $2.3 million to $1.86 million before being further reduced to $1.654 million in the final, approved county budget, according to Rice.

Rice said that the school board had recommended compensation totals increase to $3.2 million, which would have meant raises for teachers and support staff.

She took issue with the final total of $1.654 million, as it was basically half of what had been recommended by the school board.

Clemons and the school board were in agreement that a lack of funding for compensation makes it difficult to keep quality teachers. Clemons specifically mentioned the problem of becoming a “training ground” for other schools, essentially a district where new teachers gain experience before moving to higher paying counties.

“We want to not only attract people to Gloucester … but keep them here at the same time,” Clemons explained.

In addition, Rice brought up the issue of the School Resource Officers.

Gloucester High School currently has two SROs while each middle school has one. There are currently no security personnel on staff at any of Gloucester’s five elementary schools.

Clemons explained that while there had been a grant proposal being written that, if approved by the state and renewed each year, could have funded SROs at elementary schools for four years, the county administrator “was not in favor of the current grant application.”

To view this article in its entirety, subscribe here. Already an online subscriber? Login Here

More News:
  • Biggs to lead this year’s Gloucester parade
  • A busy weekend ahead
  • Local author wins top award
  • Hearing held on Mathews recount
  • GUEST night shelter opens for 7th winter

Support our advertisers

www.cbxmodulars.com www.gloucestermontessori.org www.Hoggerealestate.com

facebook

Gloucester Mathews Gazette-Journal, 6625 Main Street, P.O. Box 2060, Gloucester, VA 23061 Phone: (804) 693-3101
© Copyright 2011-2019, Tidewater Newspapers, Inc. All Rights Reserved. | Monday, December 09, 2019 - 5:01 am