001[clears throat] >> Mrs. Perkins Mr. Collick Mr. Wooster Here. Mr. Marsh >> Here. and Mr. Ford >> Here. And now for the approval of the agenda or amendments for open session. Mr. Chair, I'll move for the two approved the agenda or or amendments for open session. I'll second. All right. We approve the amendment for agenda amendment for open session. Mr. Wooster Yes. Mr. Marsh Yes. Mr. Ford Yes. And now for a moment of silence and pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. All right. Welcome everyone to the March 5th open session for the budget hearing. Today we will be hearing from constituents and going over the budget for
002the 25-26 school year. All right. In accordance to policy BDDH-E, presentation of information on any subject will be concluded at the discretion of the board. No person will be recognized to speak more than once. Citizens scheduled on the agenda to speak will be permitted 4 minutes maximum time for their presentation. Delegations will be requested to limit their speakers to two. Persons speaking are asked to be specific, state the issues for the board's consideration, and attach a copy of your prepared remarks. If you have prepared remarks, they should be given to the board clerk. Please do not approach the board members. Any matter relating to specific students will be heard by the school board only in a closed meeting. And first we have Kimberly Williams. Ready? Good evening, members of the board. 18 years ago, I
003graduated from college eager to begin my teaching career. My advisor recommended two school districts to consider, and Alachua was one of them. After a year in a different district, I applied for Alachua County schools. When I arrived at Windsor Middle, the school needed someone with an algebra endorsement, and although I did not yet hold that endorsement, they took a chance on me. And I am deeply grateful to the principal who saw my potential beyond accreditation and trusted me with the opportunity to grow and contribute. I intentionally sought out this district because of its reputable educational system and its commitment commitment to excellence. Being given that chance was not something I have ever taken lightly. It is fueled by dedication, strengthened my resolve, and solidified my loyalty to a district I choose with purpose. Teaching is
004more than a profession to me, it's a calling. There is nothing more rewarding than witnessing a student grasp a concept they once believed was beyond their reach. Watching confidence blossom, seeing pride replace doubt, and being a consistent, steady present for students who deeply needed one. Those moments are powerful. They are what compels so many of us to return each day with purpose. This community is truly special. It is the district I intentionally choose to build with to my to build my career in, the one I trust with my own children's education. Even after COVID reshaped education in lasting ways, even after the applause quieted and the criticism grew, my commitment never wavered. I remained dedicated to the students, the families, and the community I believe in. But, the job has changed. Every day teachers take
005on responsibilities that extend be far beyond delivering instruction. We ensure, manage, and maintain a safe environment within our classrooms, differentiate engaging lessons for students who perform on significantly different grade levels, analyze performance data, communicate with families, supervise activities, repeat lessons for students who are chronically absent, lack of student accountability, the uptick of mental health illness among students, cover classes during our planning periods periods as a result of substitute shortages, attend trainings for medical implementations that should only be administered by certified nurses, and support students socially and emotionally. We problem-solve constantly, often in real time, and we do it because we care deeply about students and the communities we serve. However, compensation has not kept pace with those expectations, and yet I chose to stay in Alabaster. At some point professionals have to consider what they
006bring to the table, their experience, their dedication, the extra hours, the relationships they build with the students. When educators begin to feel that their value is not reflected in the pay, they naturally look at other options. The grass may not be greener somewhere else, but the paycheck might be, and that reality weighs heavily in a profession already facing shortages and burnout, and that difference is often enough to pull excellent teachers away from students who need them most here in our schools. Through it all, I chose to stay in Isle of Wight County. If our goal is to recruit and retain high-quality educators, we must show them that their work matters, not in words, but in action. Competitive pay is a statement of respect. It says, "We see you. We appreciate you. We want you to
007stay." Investing in teachers is investing in students. It's investing in families. It's investing in the future. Because right now, many of us are wondering how much longer we can afford to keep choosing a system that doesn't choose us. Thank you for your time and consideration. >> [applause] >> Tara Outland. Good evening, Vice Chair Ford, members of the school board, and Dr. Kramer. My name is Tara Williams Outland, and I reside at 8491 Farmland Road in Carrsville. I am the extremely proud principal of Carrsville Elementary, where we've been cultivating a community of excellence since 1871, and I'm a taxpayer of the county. I've been a dedicated educator for 34 years, earning respect and trust through my advancement, serving as a classroom teacher for 12 years, district science specialist for five, assistant principal for two, and the
008last 17 as principals of elementary schools that have ranged from 240 to 1,000 students. In the spring of 2023, the principalship at Carrsville Elementary was posted and brought to my attention. As an educator, I am always looking for ways to educate, challenge, and impact students' social, emotional, and academic achievement. My past district of 28 years provided me with every opportunity to advance and support my goal. At this point in my career, I was ready for a change, a new challenge, and I had heard nothing but positive feedback from teachers and administrators in Isle of Wight County. During the application and interview process, I was named as Suffolk's first elementary principal of the year by my colleagues. Additionally, the superintendent visited my office on several occasions with proposals for additional opportunities in the district that would
009have increased my salary by $40,000. All strong points to ponder if I was making the right decision. So, while I could have increased my salary and received an additional increase from the compensation study that was already in place, I chose Isle of Wight County schools because of the reputation of the county, its employees, and the community of Carrsville. I have spent countless hours advocating for the staff, students, and community of Carrsville. Dr. Colman, John Smith, Eric Smith, along with other staff have been willing to listen and provide support funding for projects. However, money is limited limited, so I sought other avenues, built partnerships. MEB ring a bell? $40,000 basketball court at Carrsville. Next week, you'll receive another donation letter from MEB for a learning pavilion to be erected in the spring, over $60,000 for a
010learning pavilion for our students. The gym was done at cost because of the connections my family had in the community. And that beautiful bulldog on the end of the building, you can thank one of our community members who donated their time and their family to do that. So, not only have our facilities received a facelift, our students and staff continue to receive accolades from being the first Purple Star school here in the county to the Region 2 Teacher of the Year. I believe in trusting until you can't trust. Over the past 3 years, district administrators have trusted me and my judgment with continuing excellence at Carrsville. In 34 years, I've never had to validate reasons for a salary increase. Don't look at salary increases as something you have to do because your name neighboring districts
011are providing them. Do it because it's the right thing. I chose this district. Now, it's time you choose all of us in your budget and show you're cultivating a community of excellence across the district. Give the employees of Isle of Wight County Schools 110% effort in supporting increases for all. We live in a county that can support your proposal. Thank you. >> [applause] [applause] >> Caitlin Dixon. Do I go? Okay. All right. I'm Caitlin Dixon. Um I teach at Georgie Tyler Middle School, sixth grade English. Um It saddens me that I'm in a position where I feel it necessary to request to be paid a competitive and fair wage. A company was recently hired to do an evaluation of our county's teacher salaries in comparison to other surrounding counties. And what was found is that
012there's a significant discrepancy between our county and others. I can tell you now that this is no surprise to anyone within your schools as it comes up regularly in conversations amongst my peers. Teachers here often express their frustration over the lack of competitive salaries in IWCS and talk about what they would get paid if they were working elsewhere. The question is, now that we have the data to back up what we have all known for years, what will you do? Will you raise our salaries to make them competitive? To pay us what we know we are worth? IWCS proudly speaks to the success of its students and the quality of their teachers. But the best way to have this continue is to take into consideration the drastic disparity that currently exists with our salaries. If
013teacher retention is actually part of our strategic plan as a county, the clear and obvious way to do this is to pay teachers what they are worth. Our students, my children, deserve the best that this county can offer, but so do I. I have worked for this county for over 11 years. I'm an integral part of the planning of secondary English curriculum for free, have taught multiple PDs, and have been recognized as teacher of the year at my school in the 2023-2024 school year. This job is hard and the reality is that it's constantly changing and getting harder. I often question if the emotional toll it takes on me is worth the pay. But this job is my passion and it's what I love, and I love working for Isle of Wight. Raising teacher salaries
014is what we need for so many reasons. Ultimately, however, I shouldn't have to list reasons to justify why I deserve to be paid an equal salary as my counterparts in surrounding counties. So I'm asking the school board to strongly consider what I feel should not be a consideration and raise the pay of your teachers so that we can feel valued, so that we can live under less financial strain, and so that we can stop wondering if perhaps the grass really might be greener in another district or perhaps at least one that would make it easier to pay our bills. Thank you. >> [applause] >> Kippy Sinclair Kippy, Kippy with a K. Good evening, Dr. Kramer and members of the school board. Thank you for the opportunity to speak tonight. My name is Kippy Sinclair and
015I am I am in my second year teaching at Westside Elementary in Alachua County. I bring 31 years of experience across multiple districts and school systems. With that perspective, I can confidently say this division is one of the most supportive, professional, and student-centered environments I have experienced. From the moment I interviewed, I felt valued. When I walked into my classroom for the first time, I felt supported. Every day since I felt surrounded by administrators, colleagues, parents, and students who generally care. The staff at Westside is deeply committed to rigorous instruction, collaboration, and student growth. Teachers dedicate hours beyond the school day planning lessons, communicating with families, and refining instruction. However, a positive working environment alone is not enough to sustain long-term recruitment and retention. Their professionalism is evident and they deserve compensation that reflects both
016their expertise and impact. Across Virginia and nationwide, school divisions are facing teacher shortages. Compensation remains one of the most significant factors educators consider when choosing where to work and whether to remain in the profession. When neighboring districts offer higher salaries, even by several thousand dollars annually, it significantly impacts a teacher's long-term earning potential, retirement contributions, and overall financial stability. We are already seeing the effects. This year at Westside, two fifth-grade positions and one fourth and sixth-grade position went unfilled, resulting in very large class sizes. Large class sizes directly impact students. They limit individual individualized instruction, reduce small group opportunities, and stretch teachers beyond sustainable capacity. Additionally, we are increasingly hiring teachers who are not yet fully qualified for their roles. While they are dedicated and work hard, this trend affects instructional consistency and ultimately the
017quality of education our division can provide. I've personally spoken with former colleagues who are highly qualified and eager to work in Isle of Wight County. Yet many declined to apply because doing so would require accepting a pay cut. This reality directly affects our ability to recruit experienced teachers and retain the dedicated professionals we already have. Retention is not just about filling positions. It is about maintaining instructional consistency, One minute. >> protecting student achievement, and avoiding the financial and academic costs associated with turnover. Competitive salaries are not an expense. They are an investment in stability and student success. When we invest in teachers, we protect classrooms. When we protect classrooms, we protect student achievement. And when we protect student achievement, we protect the future of Alleghany County. Thank you for your time and your continued commitment
018to our students and educators. >> [applause] >> Alicia Reeves Good evening, members of the board and Dr. Kramer. My name is Alicia Reeves, and I am here tonight not just as a reading coach, but as someone who makes the deliberate choice every single day to serve in this division. I pass other school systems on my commute. I could work closer to home. I could earn more elsewhere, but I choose to be here because I believe in this community and in the students sitting in this classrooms. I bring 21 years of experience. I hold three degrees, general education, special education, and a master's in curriculum and instruction with a specialization in reading. I serve as the reading coach at Hardy Elementary, a role that directly supports every classroom in our building. In today's educational landscape, that
019role is not a luxury. It is essential. Across our region, divisions are hiring teachers who may enter classrooms without formal training in reading instruction. That is not a criticism. It is a workforce reality. Research is clear that teacher effectiveness is the most important school-based factor influencing student achievement. When we strengthen teachers, we strengthen outcomes for every child they teach, not just this year, but for years to come. My work is multiplying work. I coach teachers in evidence-based reading practices. I support division initiatives, analyze student data, data, and build instructional capacity. When one teacher grows, hundreds of students benefit over time. That is a strategic investment. But here is the hard truth. By choosing to remain in this division, rather than working in my home district, I am currently earning about 10,000 less per year than
020I could. Five years ago, this division offered a competitive advantage. Today, that gap is reversed. The difference compounds over time. It affects retirement, long-term stability, and financial security. And while passion is powerful, it cannot offset structural disparities. Many educators in this division commute from outside of this county. That speaks volumes. We are here because we believe in this district, but belief alone cannot sustain your workforce when compensation consistently lags behind the neighboring division serving very similar students. From a board's perspective, this is not simply about salaries. It is about retention and long-term stability. Retention is not accidental. It is strategic. When compensation is competitive, you stabilize your workforce, protect your instructional progress, preserve your leadership capacity, and strengthen student outcome. When compensation falls behind, even the most committed educators are eventually forced to weigh dedication
021against financial reality. I am standing here tonight because I want to stay. I want to continue investing my experience, my training, and my energy in this division, but sustainability matters for me, for my colleagues, and the long-term health of this system. Competitive salaries is not an expense line item. It is a strategic decision about the kind of division that you want to have in 5, in 10 years. If we value stability, must value the professionals who deliver it. I respectfully urge you to view salary competitiveness not as a cost, but as an investment in our retention, our quality, and the future of this division. Thank you for your time and for your service. >> [applause] >> Shawna Van Skyver Good evening. My name is Shawna Van Skyver and I'm a counselor at Windsor Elementary School.
022I want to preface what I say by saying that I love my job. I love where where I work and I love the people that I work with. When the compensation study was completed, the teacher pay scale was looked at in general and compared to other schools in our region. I don't think everybody realizes, especially since it was not clear in the Smithfield Times, that school counselors also fall in the teacher pay scale, not on the clinician pay scale. I know that can be confusing since school counselors have special training and are required to have master's degrees. Since I have worked in Isle of Wight County, there's always been school counselor positions unfilled. For a few years, that was at the high school and then for a number of years there's been an open position
023at Georgie Tyler. Year in and year out these positions go unfilled. When we talk about staff turnover, we've pretty consistently had turnover particularly in the school counselor role. I recently looked at our neighboring divisions and none of them have school counselor positions available. There has to be a reason. School counselors in a majority of our region are not managing state testing or section 504 plans. Those are clerical type duties that can be fulfilled by anyone trained. They do not require specialized training or a master's degree. Every neighboring division also has a dedicated school counselor lead at central office. I was thrilled at the end of my first year here when school counselors learned that there was going to be a request to the board to fund and hire school testing facilitators. We were told STFs
024would manage state testing and section 504 plans. If you look back to March 10th, 2022, you will hear school counselors advocating for those positions because we knew how valuable those positions would be. The development aligned with our work as the that the American School Counselor Association says for our guidelines. However, the STF role has since evolved leading leading some responsibilities to revert to counselors. As a result, we have some counselors managing close to 50 section 504 plans. ASCA asserts that school counselors should not manage these plans. We should be in the meetings as counselors collaborating with teachers, parents, and administrators, not as paperwork managers. School counselors are trained to help students with personal, social, academic, and career academic needs and career exploration. What we are not trained for as a part of any of our
025degree training is how to be a section 504 case manager, work as functional behavior assessment coordinators, or bit managers. To complete a 504 plan from start of eligibility process through the plan is pretty extensive. The collection of paperwork, summarizing of information, planning, scheduling, running meetings, sending documents, making sure copies are distributed, following up, monitoring, it takes hours. If you have ever been in a school building, you know that school counselors do not have long periods of time to sit and do paperwork unless we totally neglect the needs of students. We are frequently called on walkies to support students, we're contacted daily by concerned parents, and we're helping teachers with concerns. That leaves paperwork to be done beyond our duty day. Our county is still considered rural. We know that this makes it more challenging to
026gain access to support for families. I know that everybody wants to hear data and numbers, and I don't have a percentage to tell you, but the increase of mental health needs in our school has grown exponentially in the past 5 years. What I can tell you is that's huge. Everyone that uh works in a school building would agree. Walking down the hallway, students constantly reach out to me eager to see me and ask me, "When can you see me next?" Being relieved from Section 504 paperwork as promised would free up hours for me to be more present for my students. This is how I envision my my role. This is not a complaint, it is a call for change. Even with the full proposed pay raise, we are still behind other counties. That way the
027way that our role is utilized should be changed to be comparable to those in our region. This would help retain our wonderful counselors. I've been in contact with the school board and central office regarding this concern. I do think eventually we will meet. I just don't want to to let another budget season go by, especially when we're talking about future of this county, positions that we need, fair compensation deserve not to make mention of this concern. I desire for our role in this county to be similar to other counties where mental health needs are first. Jenny Willman Good evening. I'm pleased to have the opportunity to speak tonight as a parent on the proposed budget and the critical issue it seeks to address, the lack of competitive wages in our district. And while I'll use
028my few minutes in front of you tonight to focus on teacher compensation, I encourage you to consider the importance of competitive wages for all positions in Isle of Wight County schools. First, we must acknowledge the significant burden our current compensation structure places on the district. We already know a pay gap exists between teachers and their college-educated peers in other industries. We simply cannot afford to have a gap between our pay scale and neighboring counties, too. It is widely documented that teacher turnover leads to decreased student achievement, instructional disruption, reduced school quality and culture, and increased workload and burnout among remaining staff. And while those areas can be hard to quantify in terms of cost, we know that each time a teacher leaves, we're forced to invest substantial resources in the recruitment, hiring, and training of
029their replacement. And that's if we can find one. The Learning Policy Institute averages that the cost is upwards of $10,000 per replacement in rural districts like ours. This isn't just an expense. It's a financial drain on our budget, diverting funds from other crucial areas. We're caught in a leaky bucket cycle. Significant investments in new hires are just wasted when they walk out the door within a few years. Financial stewardship and mitigating waste is under the purview of this board. We are currently spending valuable budget dollars on temporary fixes instead of investing in long-term sustainable solutions like competitive teacher compensation. The great news is if you review both the local composite index and the compensation study, we can see that the funds already exist to address this critical issue. I encourage you not only to support
030moving the division salaries from below the 60th percentile to the 70th, but to in fact look at requesting the [clears throat] funds necessary to meet the 80th percentile. That adjustment would proactively position this district for future success. With proper planning and a growth mindset, we can prevent ourselves from ending up back in the same position a few years from now trying to play catch up. Human capital, the skills, knowledge, experience, and health of our people is the most important and significant investment we can make. One minute. >> It drives growth, fosters innovation, and provides a higher [clears throat] return than any physical asset. We don't want to keep pouring water into the leaky bucket. We don't even want to patch the holes. We want to build a better bucket. By prioritizing competitive pay, we can
031retain talent and ensure our investments yield the dividends our students and communities deserve. I urge you to advocate for and direct the funds to secure long-term success for this district. And if my words tonight haven't painted the picture of why this is important to you, I'm going to close with this visual aid. My son brought this home earlier this week. When asked to write down who is his role model, he wrote "Mrs. Kitchen, good teacher." This simple note reminds us all of the profound impact a good teacher has. I urge you to join my son in publicly recognizing their importance and making this critical investment our teachers deserve. Thank you. >> [applause] >> Katherine Breckenridge Thank you. >> [laughter] >> Good evening, members of the board and Dr. Kramer. Thank you for the opportunity to
032speak tonight. My name is Kat Breckenridge. I'm the mother of two children attending Isle of Wight County schools. I have a kindergartner at Carrollton and a fourth grader here at Westside. If you know one thing about me, it is that I'm a big supporter of our public schools. My current volunteer position is secretary of the Westside Elementary School PTA. Teachers are profoundly important in childhood, serving as critical agents in early cognitive, social, and emotional development. Beyond academics, they act as role models, fostering curiosity, resilience, and empathy, while creating secure, nurturing environments that boost confidence. Teachers play a key role in developing critical thinking, social skills, and a lifelong love for learning. Teachers are widely considered one of the most influential non-parental figures in a child's life. I respectfully ask the board tonight that you will
033consider the results of the compensation study review and support funding a pay increase for our teachers, administrators, and support staff as requested in the superintendent's proposed budget. Increased pay is a critical tool for addressing the growing teacher shortage as it directly improves retention and attracts qualified talent by acknowledging the high-level, demanding nature of the profession. Increased pay acknowledges the difficulty of the job, boosts morale, and signals that teaching is a respected, high-level profession. Competitive pay draws high-achieving individuals into education and retains experienced teachers, reducing costly turnover for the district. As a parent, I expect high-achieving individuals within our school division to keep us ahead of the curve and ensure our children are receiving the highest quality education. I believe Isle of Wight County schools remains a wonderful place to learn and grow. It is my
034hope that through increased pay and staff retention, we can continue to broadcast that message to our surrounding districts. Thank you for your time. Herb DeGroft We're good, Eric. Thank you. Mr. Vice Chairman, board members, Dr. Kramer, I reside in District 5, the Carrsville District. Earlier today, I sent you detailed email with the items for you to specifically consider more than I'm going to say here tonight. But first, Dr. Kramer, you should be ashamed of yourself in your proposed budget presentation you gave during the 26 February board meeting in which you attempted to insinuate that the supervisors did somehow not fulfill their duty as the local funding source to our schools because they were giving lower percentage of the county budget to IWCS than they did pre-COVID. In fact, Dr. Kramer, the soups have given IWCS
035starting in fiscal year 24 increases of 4.7 million and 3 million for both FY25 and FY26. No other recent superintendents were given those kinds of millions in local funding increases, I think. Look at this, too. Dr. Kramer failed to mention that the population of Isle of Wight schools is that Isle of Wight itself has increased to 41,000 citizens, but IWCS student enrollment under him has decreased in K-12 down to 5313 as of the 9/30/25 IWCS membership report. In your slideshow, you showed for FY20, the soups gave IWCS 27.7 million in local funds. The video website under enrollment and demographics shows IWCS had 5630 students then. For FY26, the county gave the schools 36.2 million for a significantly lower K-12 population. But that's not enough, so Dr. Kramer's now asking for 42.2 million from Isle of
036Wight taxpayers, a lot more than pre-COVID with 2.1% less students. Why? My opinion, to pay for his increased number of central office staff at their higher salaries. Board members, ask yourself, how does it cost more to educate less students? Dr. Kramer's slideshow also showed incorrect info about per pupil expenditures. On the website, FY26 budget per pupil expenditure was over $17,000 with over 7,000 coming from local funds compared to fiscal year 16's total pupil cost at just over 10K and a bit over 4K coming from local funds. My opinion, he's used some numbers to represent our superintendent's commitment to IWCS. So, Dr. Kramer, school board, it's time to cut the fat. Chairman Colleague, Mr. Marris, you both talked about zero-based budgeting for years. Time to do it now. The board can start with Dr. Kramers undefined
037FTE line item of over 100 full-time employees with a cost of $18.7 million for fiscal year 2017 proposed that in the past 2 years spent $33 million. That can be found on the IWCS website. Is this some kind of slush fund? What about the $1.9 million to $2.4 million in non-spent funds for teacher positions that weren't filled during fiscal year 2015? Since that money was designated for teacher salaries and benefits last year, shouldn't it be spent on teacher salaries? Could $4 million of those funds from the undefined FTE lines item or surplus from the last school possibly this year be used for teacher raises for a competitive salary? I think so. I'm 100% for competitive teacher salaries. During the 11 December 2015 IWCS board meeting, Dr. Coleman did a presentation on the SCAP application and
038I'm making a FOIA request for a copy of his prepared remarks. Dr. Coleman said in so many words the SCAP application was submitted directly by the schools to VDOE. Composite index was 0.38 and receipt of delivery was delivered to Dr. Cole- Dr. Kramer. I made an earlier FOIA request for a copy of the FY 2015 SCAP application and all accompanying verification and I'm still waiting for some stuff that wasn't embedded and attached. So, I'm going to ask again >> [clears throat] >> for things that are not even limited to emails between IWCS employees and VDOE on the SCAP grant or any other person who submitted the application documents and all the other things, maybe even some principals. So, here's that fund. I'm going to give you a copy. >> Mr. Chair or Vice Chair Ford,
039if I may just to correct the record during last month's budget presentation and following we had a very in-depth conversation with Dr. Kramer and staff and amongst ourselves. Two key points I'd like to correct. The student average daily membership is actually projected to be up plus 100 students. An increase of 100 students this school year. And we also discussed at length how the per pupil expenditures have increased and how the increased in sped students enrollment have influenced the overall cost of our operating budget. So, thank you. Christina Parsons Hi, good evening school board members. My name is Christina Parsons and I am an Isle of Wight County resident. I'm also a seventh grade math teacher at Georgie Tyler Middle School. I serve as our United Way sponsor one of our Beta Club sponsors and I
040also provide after school tutoring for students who need extra support. At the beginning of the school year, we were down an eighth grade math teacher. I stepped in and taught that class for the first three weeks of school until a replacement was hired. I did this to support our students and my colleagues and I did it without any compensation. I'm here speaking tonight from experience. In 2022, I was one of many educators who made the difficult decision to leave a neighboring district. In our math department alone, there were six teachers, and within a short period of time, only one remained. Since then, my former district has suffered immensely with staffing shortages, declining state test scores, and overall morale. I truly love where I teach. I love my students, my colleagues, and the sense of community
041we've built within Isle of Wight County schools. The thought of starting over in an another district honestly scares me. Building relationships takes time. Learning a new system, new expectations, new routines, that's not easy. But when neighboring districts offer significantly higher salaries, it forces a difficult and very real conversation. At some point, passion alone can't can't outweigh financial responsibility. We have families, bills, and futures to think about. When the salary difference becomes too large to ignore, moving isn't about disloyalty, it's about making the only decision that makes financial sense. I want to stay. Many of us want to stay. But if you want to retain dedicated teachers, compensation has to reflect the value of the work being done every single day in our classrooms. Across the country, and especially in smaller or rural divisions, school districts
042are losing strong educators to neighboring districts that offer higher salaries. When surrounding divisions increase their pay scales and others do not, it creates a ripple effect that directly impacts retention. In places like Allegany County schools, many teachers commute from nearby cities or counties. If a neighboring district offers several thousand dollars more for the same level of experience, the decision becomes less about preference and more about practicality. Teachers care deeply about their students and school communities, but they also have financial responsibilities. Over time, that salary gap becomes impossible to ignore. At some time, the choice stops being about emotion and becomes financial. When educators leave for higher pay elsewhere, districts don't just lose employees. They lose experience, mentorship, instructional consistency, and relationships that took years to build. Higher turnover can impact student achievement, staff morale, and
043the overall stability of a school. If districts want to retain dedicated high-quality teachers, salaries must remain competitive with surrounding areas. Otherwise, even the most committed educators may feel forced to leave, not because they want to, but because financially, it just makes sense. One of the most meaningful steps this board can take to support educators and improve retention is to increase pay so that our salaries are competitive within surrounding districts. Thank you. >> [applause] >> Elizabeth Everett. >> Okay, before I start my speech, I just want it to be known I'm basing my information on assuming that everything Dr. Kramer presented is factual and true. Okay. Um, good evening Dr. Kramer and the board of super um, school board members. As some of you know, my name's Elizabeth Everhart. I'm a teacher in the county. I'm
044also a parent of a child in the county. After watching the meeting last month where Dr. Kramer presented the budget and the board's remarks, I want to give credit where credit is due. The board listened and had a productive and thoughtful discussion throughout the meeting. Dr. Kramer did a great job presenting the needs of this county through a very thorough financial deep dive of what the school system has been given over the past several years from this county. As you all saw, there isn't much of a debate here. It's very black and white. We need more funding from the county and we need to stay competitive. Passing this budget will be the first step in the right direction to get the school division back on track. While many teachers are appreciative of the support of
045this board, we also want to state that this is not a one-time fix. I hope that this division, the board, and the county can learn from the mistakes that have been made over the past few years and not become complacent again. The goalpost is always going to keep moving forward. Other counties will continue to give teachers raises. We need to continue to keep track of that and not wind up here again in 5 years down the road. Maybe the one good thing that will come from this teacher shortage and frankly an educational crisis nationwide is that it will finally make localities pay teachers what we always knew we deserved. Without teachers, first responders, health care providers, your society breaks down. If a teacher salary could reach a level of competitive pay, not just within itself,
046but other sectors of the job market, the next generation might not have to be martyrs in order to go into this field. They could become educators because they care and they're financially secure. Everyone wins in this scenario. The kids, the teachers, the community, the taxpayer. I'm very proud of the growth I've seen from this board in the past 2 years. 24 months ago, this board literally cut our step. 12 months ago, you all debated on cutting the step again until we challenged it. And now you all seem to be ready to fight for a $7 million increase. That's a massive turnaround, and I hope you're proud of yourselves, too. With that said, we are looking for a unanimous vote on this budget. That will show us that we are a united front when we go
047to the county to ask for this increase that we desperately need. We feel like we're finally on the same team, and we want to keep that going. So, thank you again for your time. Keep up the great work. >> [applause] >> Mr. Chair, if I Vice Chair, if I may. Yes, all the data sets we used were taken directly from three primary sources, the Virginia Department of Education, the Isle of Wight County government, and MAG, the consulting company who conducted the compensation study. Thank you. Susan Weibel I'm really loud. Okay. Good evening. My name is Susan Weibel. I'm the computer science teacher at Carrollton Elementary. Um I asked our school family if they had anything they would like for me to bring up before I came and these are some of the points that they
048shared with me that I want to share first. Um as a school board, you don't have to find the money, you just have to ask for it. The composite says that the funding is there. Schools used to get more county money before COVID. If we went back to pre-pandemic levels, we wouldn't actually be make we would actually be making more money. We need more money to increase sub pay. We need more subs. Our our IAs are pulled every day to cover classes. They're not providing the support to our students in need. They're not doing the job they were hired for. People are all people are always telling teachers to remember our why. I challenge you, the school board, to think about your why. Why are you on the board? Your answer should include kids, education,
049and community. That shows you are invested in the quality of education. Just like you invest in your home and car to help them run smoothly, you also need to invest in your schools to help your community run smoothly. It is the foundation of our future. There's also an important long-term economic benefit to consider. Communities with strong schools consistently see higher property values. Families look for neighborhoods where the schools are high performing and stable. When a school system maintains a strong reputation, demand for housing increases and that strengthens the local tax base. In other words, investing in our teachers helps protect and grow the value of our community. Some may worry that increasing teacher salaries could mean higher taxes. That concern is understandable, but when we look at the long-term picture, strong schools often offset those
050costs by attracting residents, strengthening property values, and supporting local economic growth. Simply put, better schools benefit everyone. Now, I'd like to talk to you about why I think we should get more paid more. I was going to tell you about a typical day as a computer science teacher at Carrollton, but there is no such thing. I teach 550 students pre-K to 5, including special ed and and inclusion. This week alone, I've had two students poop themselves during class. I've had to stop teaching to take care of the child, clean my own rug, and calm the other students all while teaching. I've had parents confront me during morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up. I've had a student call me a racist. These are not atypical occurrences. Teachers are taking work home in the evenings and on weekends
051because we don't get enough planning time, and what we do get is taken so often by meetings. You're lucky we're only asking for pay and not overtime. During COVID, we were considered essential. Are we Are we still? If so, pay us like we are. The fact that we have to get up here and beg for fair wages is demoralizing, embarrassing, and ridiculous. Thank you. >> [applause] >> Stephanie Robertson. Good evening. My name is Stephanie Robertson and I'm one of the school counselors at Windsor Elementary School. I'm not typically outspoken, so please understand the significance of my remarks. The compensation evaluation is so appreciated and I hope you all will be using it to advocate for maximum raises for all staff. Working in education demands resilience and while compensation is extremely important for retention, so is
052increasing support. Which brings me to what I want to speak with you all about today, the role of the school counselor. If you ask a school counselor why they chose this profession, their answer will almost always center on one thing. A desire to help students. School counselors enter this field to support students academic, social, and emotional growth. While there are many ways to provide that support, the reality is that there are simply are not enough hours in the day to do everything well. When I was in graduate school, my professors encouraged us to advocate for the removal of 504 coordination from school counselors because it is not considered an appropriate counseling duty. In fact, they were so confident in our ability to advocate that was all of the training that we received on 504s. At
053the time, I remembered quietly laughing to myself because every school division around us assigned that responsibility to counselors. However, as I have gained experience in the field, I have also learned that many divisions have since removed both testing coordination and 504 responsibilities from their school counselors so that they can focus on the work we were actually trained to do. Several years ago, a group of courageous counselors from Isle of Wight stood before this board to share that both testing and 504 coordination were inappropriate duties for school counselors. I attended that meeting to support them. Many of those counselors are no longer working in this division. At the time, we were all encouraged when we learned that the STF position was being created to support state testing and 504 coordination. Unfortunately, a few years later, that
054is not what has occurred. I understand that the role of the STF may not have been clearly communicated and the position looks much different today than what we had originally hoped. While I personally feel fortunate to work with supportive administrators and a helpful STF, I can still see that counselors in our division are gradually becoming more and more responsible for 504 plans. I'm not here tonight to place blame or point fingers. I'm here simply to bring attention to an ongoing concern. Although many of the board members here tonight were not present at that March 2022 meeting when this issue was previously raised, I respectfully ask you to reconsider the request to remove 504 coordination from the role of school counselors. The role of a 504 case manager is complex and time-consuming. Managing these plans requires
055hours of preparation and follow-up. To be clear, this is not to undermine the importance of these students and their 504 plans. None of these responsibilities are unimportant. In fact, they are critical to ensuring students receive the support they need. However, they are also highly administrative in nature and require a significant amount of time behind the scenes. Time that takes us away from direct interactions with students. As I mentioned earlier, I became a school counselor because I want to help as many students as possible. If you walk the halls of Windsor Elementary School with me, you will hear students asking me, "Mrs. Robertson, when are you going to get me?" My soul is tired from the number of times I've had to find a way to explain to them it's not because I don't care, but
056because there's simply just not enough time in the day. Students' needs should be prioritized over paperwork, yet this paperwork is legally binding and I am the sole person responsible for my caseload. The hours required to manage each 504 plan significantly reduce the time counselors can spend working directly with students, the work we were trained to do. For that reason, I respectfully ask the board to reconsider whether 504 case management is the best use of school counselors' time and whether removing the responsibility could allow counselors better serve the students in this division. How should school counselors be utilized for paperwork or their intended role in mental health support? >> [applause] >> Brooke Bond Good evening members of the board and Dr. Kramer. My name is Brooke Bond. I'm a proud parent of three children in the
057Isle of Wight County school system. Two here at Westside in fourth and fifth grade and one in kindergarten in Carrollton Elementary. I'm also an active member on the Westside Elementary PTA. Through these roles, I have had the privilege of seeing firsthand the dedication of our teachers and the staff and the real needs that exist in the classrooms. As you all know, Isle of Wight County continues to be one of the fastest growing counties in Virginia. As more families choose to make this community their home, our investment in our schools should grow alongside with that growth. I want to begin by expressing my support for the budget proposal that Dr. Kramer has presented. Developing a school budget requires balancing the needs of students, educators, staff, and taxpayers while navigating state funding formulas and local fiscal realities.
058This proposal reflects thoughtful consideration of those challenges and pri- prioritizes the needs of our classrooms. Approximately 74% of the requested increase goes directly into our classrooms, supporting teachers, strengthening special education services, and investing directly in student learning. A key component of this proposal is increasing teacher compensation, which you've heard tonight is going to make an impact in our county. Competitive salaries are essential if we want to recruit and retain high-quality educators. Investing in our teachers is one of the most important investments we can make in our students. The proposal also addresses critical needs in special education by increasing staffing to ensure students receive the services that they deserve. As a parent of a child with a 504 plan, I understand how essential these supports are for helping students access the classroom and reach their full
059potential. I know there have been concerns raised about whether the county can meet the financial obligations of this proposal. The local composite index reflects a locality's ability to contribute to education funding, and based on that formula, Isle of Wight County is considered to have a strong capacity to support our schools. Yet, when we compare our per pupil spending to surrounding divisions with similar or even lower LCI values, many of them invest more per student than we do. The LCI reflects what our community can invest in education. Our per pupil spending reflects what our county is choosing to invest. This proposal may be described as a big ask of the county, but our students deserve that big ask. As our county continues to grow and attract new families, we have a responsibility to ensure our schools
060grow with it. Strong public schools benefit every resident in this community, supporting student success, strengthening our economy, and ensuring Isle of Wight County remains a place where families want to live and raise their children. I encourage this board to support Dr. Kramer's proposal and to be strong advocates for it as discussions move forward with the county. I also hope our county's leadership will work in partnership with you to ensure our schools have the resources necessary to meet the needs of our growing community. Because if we want Isle of Wight County to remain a place where families choose to live, work, and raise their children, our investment in our schools must grow alongside with our community. Thank you for your time. Lindsey Bogart. Good evening, Dr. Kramer and members of the school board. Thank you for
061the opportunity to speak. Many people speaking tonight will rightfully advocate for increased compensation for our educators and staff, including administrators. I strongly support those efforts. Our employees deserve fair compensation, and I appreciate the work being done toward that goal. My hope, however, is that those increases are not achieved by continuing to eliminate positions that are critical to the daily safety and operation of our schools. I'd like to ask you to picture something. Imagine an ambulance responding to an emergency with only one paramedic. That paramedic is safely driving the ambulance through traffic, navigating the fastest route to the hospital, and relying on a deep knowledge of the roads and community to get the patient there quickly. But, she's also responsible for the patients in the back. Every few minutes, she has to pull the ambulance to
062the side of the road, leave the driver's seat, run to the back, check the patient's vitals, monitor medications, and make sure the life-saving equipment is stocked and ready. She has to know the patient's allergies and medical history. While driving or with the patient, she is communicating through the ambulance radio and her phone. And every time she stops to care for the patient, someone outside the ambulance is knocking on the window asking questions they urgently need answered. Neither job is being done the way it should be, not because the person isn't capable, but because no one can safely do both roles at the same time. This is what our front office staffing currently feels like at Carrollton Elementary. Student safety begins the moment someone approaches the front door, and the front office is the first and
063constant line of support for that responsibility. It's the office that notices when a preschooler is dropped off outside alone. It's the office that prevents a non-custodial parent from picking up a child. It's the office that monitors the lobby and catches a student before they run out of the building. And it's the office that takes the call when there's a threat. Assists the clinic during a medical emergency, and calls for help when situations escalate. Front office staff are also the only support staff in the building who are required to be there an additional hour each day to ensure the school opens safely and closes responsibly. Our school serves almost 600 students in pre-K through third grade. The average age of all these students is less than 7 years old. The front office monitors the entrance, screens
064visitors, manages student arrivals and dismissals, handles custody documentation, coordinates transportation issues, answers parent concerns, tracks attendance and truancy, maintains student files and responds to emergencies, all while supporting staff and students throughout the day. The front office is expected to simultaneously answer the phone, answer the doorbells, answer the bus radio, answer the internal radio, monitor students in the office, and communicate pleasantly with caregivers and staff standing in front of them. At the same time, the bookkeeper is also responsible for processing deposits, payroll, bank reconciliations, financial records, purchasing equipment, audits, and compliant work that requires accuracy, focus, and uninterrupted time. Right now, our office operates with one full-time associate >> One minute. >> and one who rotates between Carrollton and Windsor. On the days either associate is not present, the bookkeeper must step away from financial and
065building responsibilities to cover the front office. This means both schools, serving more than 1,200 elementary students combined, are trying to operate front offices designed for two staff members with only one consistently present. It is my hope that those who are responsible for funding the school system would share the same priority that we do, ensuring that every student in Isle of Wight County schools is safe and supported every moment of the school day. Remember the ambulance driver? Student safety should never depend on whether the ambulance has time to pull over. Our schools need the staff required to keep students safe every moment of every day. Thank you for your time and consideration. >> [applause] [applause] >> Matt Johnson. Good evening, members of school board and Dr. I am Mr. Matthew Johnson, the proud principal here at
066Westside Elementary School. Every decision made in this room should ultimately come back to one guiding question. What is best for our children? I've been part of Isle of Wight County schools since 2005. For more than 20 years, I've invested my career, my energy, and my heart in serving the students and family of this county. My hope has always been to remain here and to continue making a difference for as long as I can. But the reality many educators face today is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Remaining here is becoming harder. Not because the passion is gone, not because the commitment has faded, not because they don't love this community, nor not because they don't believe deeply in our students. But because the financial reality makes decision more difficult each year. That question matters because what
067is best for children is stability. Children benefit when experienced teachers stay. Children benefit when strong principles lead schools. Children benefit when the adults guiding them are able to build long careers in the communities they serve. This is why the compensation study matters. Strong schools depend on strong leadership. A strong leader begins with a strong principal. Principals shape culture, support teachers, and create the environment where students succeed. So tonight, I ask you to reflect on a few important questions. What kind of school system do you want Isle of Wight County be known for? Do you want to be a division that invests in its people and attracts exceptional educators and leaders? Or do you risk becoming a place where talented educators look elsewhere for better opportunities? If your own child were sitting in one of our
068classrooms, would you want them learning from a passionate experienced educator who choose who chose here or someone simply just filling a vacancy? Because what is best for children is not uncertainty. What is best for children is strong schools, stable classrooms, and experienced educators who choose to stay. This compensation study is not simply about numbers on a spreadsheet. It is about protecting the quality and stability of our schools. It is about retaining the educators who have devoted their careers to our students and ensuring that future educators see Isle of Wight County as a place where they can build meaningful careers. But tonight is about something even larger, your legacy. Each of you serving on this board will one day reflect on the decisions made during your time of service. Some will be routine decisions that naturally
069fade with time, but others will shape the future of this school division for many years. This is one of those defining moments. Years from now, educators and families will look back and remember, well, this board chose to stand up for professionals who dedicate their lives to educating children. They will remember whether this board chose to invest in the people who make the success of our students possible. So, I ask you to consider consider the legacy that you want to leave. Will your legacy be that during your service Isle of Wight County schools struggled to retain and attract its most talented educators and leaders? Or will your legacy be that you stood firmly for the people who serve our children every single day? That you advocated for competitive competitive compensation and that you helped ensure this
070division remain a place where exceptional educators and administrators choose to stay. Great schools are never built by chance. They are built by investing in great people. Our students deserve the very best educators and leaders we can provide. Our educators deserve to be valued and supported for the work they do. And this community deserves a school system strong enough to protect both. Approving and advocating for this compensation study for all is not simply a financial decision. It's a decision about the future strength of this school division and it's a decision about the legacy this board will leave behind. But in the end, this decision returns the same question we began with. What is best for our children? Thank you. >> [applause] >> I want [clears throat] to thank all of the concerned constituents, um stakeholders, teachers,
071faculty, and staff that uh spoke tonight. Um before we move into the before I adjourn the uh this meeting today, um I want to let you all know that we'll take a 5-minute break before the uh budget work session. Session adjourned.