DATE: Tuesday, March 18, 1997               TAG: 9703180002

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B10  EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Opinion 

SOURCE: BY LOUISA M. STRAYHORN 

                                            LENGTH:   82 lines

VIRGINIA BEACH CITY COUNCILWOMAN DEFENDS FUNDING OF SCHOOLS

It is important that our citizens understand that when Virginia Beach City Council recently passed a new revenue-sharing policy, it was with the sincere desire to work more cooperatively with our School Board and administration. This policy makes the school division our partner in sharing revenue growth.

It is regrettable that communications between these two elected bodies has resulted in misunderstandings. We hope that the revenue-sharing policy will improve communications. When council passed the revenue-sharing policy on Feb. 25, it was after the School Board adopted a resolution in support of the policy.

The policy is certainly not a way to cut school funding. When we apply the policy to next year's budget, we provide $181 million in local operating funds to schools, an increase of 7.9 percent. Our policy provides the largest amount and highest percent of local funding in the history of Virginia Beach.

The policy uses the current fiscal year, which provides the highest historical percentage share, as a base year. That is how we arrived at the revenue share of 53.13 percent of our major growth revenues. It is noteworthy that the schools are on solid fiscal ground and looking at a surplus of $12 million or more at the end of this fiscal year. Still, the policy provides them with an additional $13.2 million in operating funds for next year.

The policy is our way of asking the board to provide a base budget request for reasonable available revenues and prioritize their program needs consistent with those revenues. If the board determines that the policy amount will not meet their needs, the policy asks them to join with council in seeking public support for additional tax revenues. This would mean immediate changes would be needed, such as increases in real estate, personal property or other taxes or other approaches that the School Board and City Council would jointly plan.

We are proud that our city offers quality services at among the lowest cost per capita in the state. We are proud to offer a superior quality of life with reasonable tax rates. We are also proud of schools that are efficient and rank well above the state average in achievement indicators, while maintaining below average costs. This is consistent with our citywide values of delivering the best services to our citizens at the lowest possible cost.

Because our school system is large, it may be tempting to make spending comparisons with northern Virginia, but these comparisons can be misleading. These communities have a higher cost of living, as well as a different socioeconomic status. The State Superintendent's Report ranks state indicators of ability to pay for education, such as property value, adjusted gross income and taxable retail sales. This report ranked Virginia Beach at less than half of the northern Virginia communities in ability to pay. This report also reveals that even comparisons with neighboring Chesapeake must be examined closely. Although their total costs per pupil may be higher, their instructional costs per pupil are nearly identical to Virginia Beach.

We are learning that socioeconomic factors and strong families are better predictors of student performance than what we spend per pupil. City Council priorities to improve economic vitality, to strengthen families and to provide a safe community, a quality physical environment and opportunities for lifelong learning are as integral to the success of our students as the quality of our schools is to achieving city goals.

The annual budget process provides a way to balance and weigh all of our community needs. Investments in economic development and quality-of-life initiatives (such as the amphitheater or golf courses) help to ensure a solid tax base. City Council is sensitive to investing in projects that will provide future revenues such as real estate, personal property and business-license tax revenues in which the school division will directly share. In addition, certain revenues, such as amusement taxes, are used to invest in economic development initiatives that will produce additional revenues in which the school division will also share.

It is an inevitable reality that, like schools, many vital city departments will also have needs that are not fully funded. These requests range from street resurfacing to a homeless intervention program and a new early intervention program for youth and families, to name a few.

As our School Board members know, it is not easy to determine what should be funded among many worthy initiatives. As elected officials, we can teach our children by our example and demonstrate to our future leaders that we must work cooperatively to make those difficult choices that are a real and undeniable part of civic life. former member of the Virginia Beach School Board. MEMO: Louisa M. Strayhorn is a member of the Virginia Beach City Council

and a former member of the Virginia Beach School Board. KEYWORDS: ANOTHER VIEW

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