The Patrick County School System (PCSS) is led by the elected members of the Patrick County School Board (PCSB). PCSS is funded by a combination of local, state and federal dollars. The number of teachers and their rate of pay is calculated by a formulaic method for every county in the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth funds only the number of positions that are determined by the Department of Education to be necessary to achieve the Standards of Quality (SOQ). For example, PCSS has six (6) principals (five elementary and one high school) but only three and a half (3.5) positions are funded by the Commonwealth in the SOQ plan.
The Patrick County Board of Supervisors(BOS)took a hardline last year (budget year 2019) and limited the “local effort” financial contribution to PCSS to the minimum required by the Commonwealth to meet the SOQ. There were no raises for school employees last year. So, on the one hand the BOS does not want school consolidation; on the other hand, will not fully support all the necessary positions to keep all the schools open. This budget year (2020) the BOS has taken a similar budget stance which could force the PCSB to decide if they would give a raise to some but not to non-SOQ positions. That is a thorny choice.
Constitutional Officers like the PCSB are elected by the voters. Commonwealth Attorney, Treasurer, Commissioner of Revenue, Sheriff and Clerk of Court are all Constitutional Officers. TheCommonwealth’sConstitutional Officers’ Compensation Board establishes the number of positions required to do the work of each office and the rate of pay for each position.
To review, the Commonwealth of Virginia has two distinct methods of determining funding for school systems and Constitutional Officers. Both achieve the goal of setting pay rates and staffing numbers.
Patrick County’s Constitutional Officers, Commonwealth-approved salaries range from $68,000 to $121,000 per year. In addition, each receives supplemental pay from the county taxpayer dollars ranging from $4,200 to $13,000.Total additional payments are $42,000 or almost an additional 10 percent.
The BOS has approved supplemental payment of taxpayer dollars in salary to every employeeof all the Constitutional Offices.The amount of supplemental pay varies but, in some cases it as much as $10,000/per person.The BOS also has approved payment of taxpayer dollars for twenty positions that the Commonwealth has determined are not necessary.
The BOS also approves supplemental payment of taxpayer dollars in salary to the Department of Social Services (DSS) workers. The total supplemental pay to the DSS above that provided by the Commonwealth is $164,173 or an additional 16 percent. According to the 2020 County budget, DSS is to receive additional positions and increase in salaries.
The total County payment of taxpayer dollars insupplement pay andadditional positions is$1,457,468. We taxpayers are generous folks and our taxes just went up $1,727,000.If the BOS wants to argue that the supplements are paid to recruit/retain qualified employees and that the additional positions are essential, why are the schools left out of that calculation?
Of course, a portion of the school systems salaries are paid through the minimum “local effort” provided by the BOS. But the key word is “minimum.” Not a dime for supplemental pay over and above that required by the Commonwealth’s funding formula. Is there a double standard here?
The BOS always makes the school board its “whipping boy” at budget time. Yet all one hears in the room when the other departmental budgets are reviewed is crickets! Perhaps the Constitutional Officers should prepare a formal presentation and present it in a public meeting as does Dr. Sroufe? That would seem to be fair.
The PCSS has achieved 100 percent state accreditation for three straight years. Several schools have been recognized as distinguished. Good for them! It shows what can be accomplished despite the obstacles placed on their path to excellence. It also demonstrates that while money may make some difference, it is not the sole contributing factor to attracting and retaining quality personnel and high performers.
Unfortunately for the school employees, the animus of the BOS toward the PCSBis such that nothing will be done to include the school employees in the county’s largess. After all the BOS may be infamous, but they never will receive any distinguished awards for their job performance!
Bill Moore
Woolwine
