THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 8, 1995 TAG: 9509070217
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 08 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Long : 160 lines
The Virginia Beach City Public Schools ran up a $7.4 million deficit for the 1994-95 school year, which ended June 30. The School Board and the City Council have both called for independent audits to find out how this happened.
Last Sunday, we invited Beacon readers to tell us what they think should be done about the deficit. Here's a sampling of what they had to say:
Robert Clement (Lake Shores): ``I think the whole thing is indicative of the attitude that Virginia Beach has with regard to public money. I think that the commonwealth's attorney should investigate the situation and (former Superintendent Sidney) Faucette should be subpoenaed. The School Board should resign. The entire administrative staff should be replaced.
``I think as far as malfeasance, I think it's far more than malfeasance. I think it's probably criminal negligence and I think it's a indication that the School Board should never be given taxing authority.''
Don Kelleher (Kempsville): ``I live in the Kempsville area and I feel that as a starter, the present financial officer, Mr. Mordecai Smith, should be terminated. Evidently he knew that these illegal transfers were taking place and should have blown the whistle. But evidently he kept his mouth shut to protect his job.
``The City Council will have to bail them out but they need to keep a tighter rein on the money and find out where it's all going before it goes.''
Rocklyn Faher (Redwing): ``The first thing I want to know is, has the taxpayer spent the money? What did (former chief financial officer Hal) Canary do to cause him to be suspended? And No. 2, does it have anything to do with this and if it does, I want charges pressed.''
Sherrie Osterman (Kempsville): ``I believe that the School Board should all be fired, replaced, and then there needs to be a vote to make the school budget separate from the regular city budget allowing for school taxes to be collected outside of the real estate tax. This way they have to spend what they get in and nobody will be able to bail them out from that point.''
School employee (name withheld by request): ``I wish I could leave you my name and my number. I'm a 30-year veteran of the Virginia Beach City Public School System. This may be a very good thing for the readers and the voters of Virginia Beach, the citizens, that is. They need to know that this system has been sick for a long, long time. Incompetence reigns at the top level. We haven't had anyone of any intelligence since Dr. Brickell left our system. Thank you very much. I wish that I could leave you my name but I would have to pay for the rest of my career were I to leave you my name.
E.A. Hall (Sandbridge): ``I think that each and every person on the School Board and the City Council should be held responsible for that debt. I think that they also should have to give up parts of their earnings to pay for it.
``This city wastes more money than it should on frills and fancy things and people's wish lists. They think the purse has no bottom.''
School employee (name withheld by request): ``I'm not at all comfortable leaving my name because I am a teacher in the school system but I'm very bothered by the comments, the quotes that the classroom funds will not be affected by the financial crunch like the officials said. All last year we were cut off of money from March on to buy any materials. And anything that we did buy and save receipts for, we're being denied reimbursement for those receipts this year. So I feel it's very erroneous and I've felt that all along.''
Richard Bazar (Newtown): ``I think that they should hold Faucette accountable because he was the superintendent. If he moved the funds around like it says in the paper, then he should be held accountable for it and be taken to court. Also, the principals have too much leeway in spending such as Luxford Elementary, they just bought some awnings to make the building look nice. That serves no purpose except frivolous.''
School employee (name withheld by request): ``As a schoolteacher I do not want to leave my name or my number. However, I don't have a solution. I do not feel that Dr. Faucette should be the scapegoat in this. People need to look into the school system as a whole.
``Also, I feel that (Ulysses Van) Spiva is the only one on the School Board who's helping us. Some people on the School Board, at least half of them, should have some kind of educational background before serving on our board. Please start printing something positive about Virginia Beach schools and their teachers.''
Martha Hancock (Kings Forest): ``I think that as taxpayers, we should bail them out one time and then I think that the citizens of Virginia Beach should insist on fiscal responsibility or the School Board should be held personally liable for being so stupid. They're our elected officials. They should be smarter than this.''
Clara Lawrence: ``It looks like something should have been done at $1 million instead of continuing to $7 million. It's really embarrassing to the city. It's like the superintendent has spent our teachers' salaries on those flags. Somebody should be checking the books a little closer I would say. It's a shame.''
Don Barnes (The Lakes): ``I really think the situation occurred from previous administration boards. I think Mordecai (Smith) was a great person. He actually worked with me a lot in the inner city when I was growing up and attending Lake Taylor. He got me into track and field. I got a scholarship. And now I'm working in the city of Virginia Beach. I really think the situation needs to be handled but I have great respect for the old city of Virginia Beach and their good administration. Great schools!''
n/a Paul Seal (Lake Shores): ``I think the entire School Board and the school administrators should themselves go back to school, get their pencils out and learn a little bit about arithmetic and financial accountability.''
Nancy Newstep (53rd Street): ``I teach in Hampton. I think it is probably time we realized that school systems are big business and probably that a superintendent doesn't need to be an educator. We might be a lot better off if we had someone that was in accounting or business. Possibly put your assistant superintendents as educators to direct in the proper manner but I think the superintendent's job has gotten to be big business and we need a big business person there.''
School employee (name withheld by request): ``I would like my name to be withheld because I am new to the Virginia Beach school system and I'm still on probation. I live in Kempsville and what I don't like about any of the coverage is that is that no one except the writer in the Beacon Sunday has pointed out that Virginia Beach happens to be very wasteful of their money to begin with. Bill Reed kind of pointed that out. I really don't like the indignant stance of Meyera Oberndorf or any of the City Council members. They should talk to people in the system and see that we need money and there aren't enough computers, there aren't enough teachers. So even though there is a deficit and it shouldn't have happened, the school system needs money.
``My thoughts are that neither The Virginian-Pilot nor the Beacon are giving the full coverage that this issue deserves and that is the total school budget and what the needs of our system are. The needs are much greater than the $340 million allotted. There is a lot of waste within the city of Virginia Beach. Why don't we get a handle on the waste in Virginia Beach and bring the education system to what we need?''
George Hamar (Baylake Pines): ``The School Board was granted the money by the City Council. They did not give it to any administrative personnel. The buck stops at the School Board level. If they were a private corporation they would now be involved in lawsuits. They are totally responsible for every bit of spending that goes on in the schools. The buck stops with them. They are totally responsible. The nine of them should resign right now.''
Beverly Starkes (Arrowhead): ``We have a shortfall of $7.4 million in the school budget. If this is a violation of a state law that says the budget must balance, someone or a group has violated the law. If so, I expect our elected officials to prosecute lawbreakers. If not, I would like to know who refuses to prosecute and I will not vote for them in the upcoming election. My financial accounts are tight and I cannot afford another tax increase.''
Craig Tassone (Strawbridge):``It appears to me that the city of Virginia Beach, City Council and the School Board have champagne tastes but the City Council has a beer pocketbook. I don't see any malfeasance as far as stealing the money. The money's been spent in school. If the City Council would appropriate a usable budget we probably wouldn't have this problem.
``I would truly like to see Dr. Pughsley put in as the superintendent and save the money we're spending on a search right now.'' by CNB