More school cuts loom

Area schools superintendents were digesting news Wednesday of Gov. Robert F. McDonnell’s proposed $731 million in additional cuts to K-12 education for the next two years, but said the news from McDonnell can’t be positive.

The depth of revenue cuts for education funding has prompted legislators, including Sen. Emmett Hanger, R-Mount Solon, to suggest that state mandates for education be relaxed over the next couple of years.

But school administrators are prepared to sharpen the budget-cutting blade even more.

“We’ll have to make cuts. There will be less expenditures if you are cutting out something,’’ said Augusta County Schools Superintendent Gary McQuain.

“We’re deep in the hole a bit more,’’ said Staunton Schools Superintendent Steven Nichols.

Nichols had hoped McDonnell would support freezing the composite index. That move would have netted Staunton $300,000 more in state funding.

Hanger said he would suggest a relaxation of Standards of Learning requirements.

“I think we will have to relax mandates,’’ Hanger said. “We can’t expect the schools to operate on the money we are offering.”

McDonnell’s proposal for K-12 education cuts includes significant temporary savings in Virginia Retirement System contributions, that would cover all but $200 million of the education cuts.

Nichols said the VRS changes would only be temporary.

“There is no free lunch,’’ he said. “If you make adjustments to the VRS now, at some point in time you will have to make it up.”

The governor said if his proposal is passed, K-12 education funding would return to the level it was in 2006.

Nichols said the problem with that scenario is that accountability standards are now higher.

He said his school district is dealing with increased issues in other areas, such as more poor students, more special education students and those students who are English as a second language.

“We now have 2010 standards,’’ Nichols said.

He said cutting back to 2006 would be OK if the school district’s problems were those of 2006 not 2010.

As for alternative revenues, Hanger said many fee increases are being floated in Richmond, including one raising court filing fees 300 to 400 percent to help with the funding gap for sheriff’s deputies.

“I couldn’t support that,’’ the senator said.

Waynesboro Schools Superintendent Robin Crowder could not be reached Wednesday.