Superintendent presents budget with 3% across‑the‑board pay proposal; board approves 5‑year CIP, naloxone policy and easement for north‑end siren

Heidi Ratliff, superintendent of Colonial Heights Public Schools, presented the division's proposed budget and capital plan and asked the board to set work‑session dates and review requests for staffing, equipment and maintenance.

The proposal includes a 3% increase for all employees tied to the state's Standards of Quality (SOQ) funding and, Ratliff said, "If we're gonna give SOQ people 3%, we're gonna give everybody 3%." She and staff estimated that the 3% proposal would cost "a little over a million dollars." Ratliff also warned of a sharp rise in health‑insurance costs, saying the division currently faces a projected 23.7% increase for the coming year and noting a three‑year average increase of about 10.6%.

Why it matters: The budget presentation lays out the division's revenue assumptions (state, local, federal and other sources), staffing priorities and capital requests that will feed into the city's overall budget process. Ratliff emphasized the division's guiding principle: "make every decision based on what's right for kids," and said the school system's memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the city is an important stable revenue source.

Key points from the presentation

- Compensation and benefits: The proposal uses the state's 3% SOQ increase as the baseline and extends 3% to all employees; staff estimated the cost at a little over $1 million. Ratliff and finance staff described a recent alignment of pay scales (30‑step scales) that will require continued funding.

- Health insurance: The division is self‑insured and staff said recent claim costs will require increased employee contributions; Ratliff presented a projected 23.7% rate increase for this year and said the division will explore plan design and vendor options to mitigate the impact.

- New or adjusted positions requested: additions to ESL and special education staffing, a new middle‑school math teacher, and converting two half‑counselor positions to full positions (Lakeview and the middle school) to address mental‑health needs.

- Capital, maintenance and technology: Requests included school buses, instruments for the middle school, maintenance projects (paving and machinery), inclusive play equipment for Lakeview, and E‑rate funded networking/fiber work. Ratliff said the total operating budget is "a little over 65 and a half million dollars." Troy (finance staff) described funded projects (high school entrance/offices and fine arts switch gear, tech center HVAC work using wall/ground units at a substantially lower cost than an initial $4,000,000 estimate) and a list of unfunded projects.

- Capital improvement plan (CIP): Troy told the board the school division currently lists more than $20,000,000 of unfunded projects that the city and schools will need to prioritize and fund over time. Specific unfunded items identified in the board packet included a cell‑signal booster, high‑school commons and dining/food‑prep improvements, athletic enhancements, an elementary music and art room addition, an auxiliary high‑school gym, and tennis/pickleball court resurfacing.

Votes at a glance (items discussed and formally acted on during the meeting)

- Adoption of the agenda: Motion to adopt the agenda; roll call recorded ("Yes" votes were recorded for the board members listed in the meeting roll call). Outcome: approved.

- Consent agenda (minutes, VSBA contracts, donations including a $900 donation for building trades and $600 in electric guitars from Carlos Spears): Motion to adopt the consent agenda; roll call recorded with all listed board members voting yes. Outcome: approved.

- Budget work‑session dates: Motion to set proposed work sessions (Tuesday, Feb. 27 at 4 p.m.; conditional March 11 at 8 a.m.). Outcome: approved by motion and second.

- Policy to allow school nurses to be trained to administer naloxone (policy referenced in packet as EBBC or related policy language): Motion to approve bringing the policy forward and allow training; roll call shows unanimous yes votes from the board members present. Outcome: approved. (Christy George and Stacy were noted as requesting the policy; staff will coordinate implementation.)

- Easement for a north‑end emergency weather siren on school property: The city requested a deed of easement to place a solar‑powered siren behind the high‑school ball field off Brockwell Lane; Troy explained the city will pay for the project and the city attorney drafted the deed and a resolution authorizing the superintendent to sign. Motion to approve the easement; roll call recorded yes votes. Outcome: approved.

- Financial report (November and December 2024): Motion to approve the financial report summary for November and December 2024; roll call recorded yes votes. Outcome: approved.

- Five‑year capital improvement plan (CIP): Motion to approve the proposed five‑year CIP listing to forward to the city manager for inclusion in the citywide CIP; roll call recorded yes votes. Outcome: approved.

Discussion vs. decisions

The presentation included several discussion items and staff clarifications that the board did not convert into immediate additional binding commitments beyond the approvals listed above. Ratliff and finance staff explained revenue assumptions (average daily membership, local composite index and E‑rate reimbursement rates), described contingency and CIP reserve use for unexpected costs (for example, a boiler replacement), and noted the March vote timeline when the board will adopt a final budget for submission to the city.

What comes next

Board members will take part in scheduled budget work sessions, the division will hold a public hearing on the budget (the superintendent identified the next public hearing date on the board agenda), and the board will vote on a final budget in March before sending it to the city.

Speakers (as identified in the meeting transcript)

- Heidi Ratliff, Superintendent (government) - Troy (staff member, government) - Melissa Lynch (staff member, government) - Colleen Hearn (staff member, government) - Aaron Dimionta (finance staff, government) - Christy George (staff member, government) - Stacy (staff member, government) - Dr. Cox (school board member, government) - Miss Kachuba (school board member, government) - Miss Waller (school board member, government) - Miss Woody (school board member, government) - Mr. Nees (school board member, government)

Authorities referenced

- Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the school division and the city (referenced by Ratliff as a recurring funding agreement) referenced_by: ["budget presentation"] - Standards of Quality (SOQ) funding (state funding formula) referenced_by: ["budget presentation"] - Federal E‑Rate (FCC reimbursement program) referenced_by: ["budget presentation","CIP/technology discussion"] - Policy language referenced as EBBC (policy for opioid/naloxone response) referenced_by: ["policy approval"]

Proper names

- Colonial Heights Public Schools (agency) - Brightpoint (college) [student college reference in senior recognition]

Clarifying details

- 3% across‑the‑board pay proposal for all employees; estimated cost: "a little over a million dollars." Source: Heidi Ratliff (presentation). - Projected health‑insurance increase: 23.7% for the coming year; three‑year average presented as 10.6%. Source: Heidi Ratliff (presentation). - Total operating budget cited in presentation: "a little over 65 and a half million dollars." Source: Heidi Ratliff (presentation). - Unfunded capital projects: Troy stated the division is "left with a little over $20,000,000 of projects that haven't been funded." Source: Troy (CIP discussion). - Federal E‑Rate reimbursements estimated at about 85–90% for eligible fiber/network projects; a $192,000 increase for E‑rate‑related funding was noted. Source: presentation.

Community relevance

- Geographies: Colonial Heights (division‑wide), specific sites referenced: Colonial Heights High School (ball field behind school) for the siren easement, Lakeview (counselor positions, inclusive play equipment). - Impact groups: students (including ESL and special‑education students), teachers and nonteaching staff, families who rely on school services. - Funding sources identified: state (SOQ), local city funding (via MOU), federal grants (Title I/II/III/IV, E‑Rate), and beginning fund balance/contingency reserves.

Meeting context

- Engagement level: extended budget presentation (multiple staff speakers), board discussion, and a sequence of formal votes approving the consent agenda, policy change (naloxone), easement, financial reports and the five‑year CIP. - Implementation risk: medium — several items require city action or future budget votes (CIP funding, final budget adoption in March, E‑Rate reimbursements) before projects proceed. - History: CIP and budget items were discussed at previous meetings and work sessions (staff referenced a November draft CIP and budget calendar brought forward in September).

Searchable tags:["budget","school_budget","CIP","naloxone","health_insurance","E‑Rate","Colonial Heights","school_board"]

provenance:{"transcript_segments":[{"block_id":"b1098.64","local_start":0,"local_end":257,"evidence_excerpt":"How's everybody? Good. Everybody good? Okay. So I can't stand behind here because I'm when I teach, I have to walk. And so I hope y'all forgive me for that, but Yeah. Here we go. So, we have our annual budget presentation tonight. I just wanna start off by thanking a few people. 1, mayor Cachuba, thank you for being here for for this tonight. Prep we said crafting a budget.","reason_code":"topicintro"},{"block_id":"b2506.77","local_start":0,"local_end":98,"evidence_excerpt":"And so then our next steps, the the next thing that we're gonna talk about here tonight is, budget work sessions. And so the board will consider some dates for that. Next board meeting, the 20 fifth, there will be a public hearing on the budget where anybody from the public may come and share their thoughts about the proposed budget. And then at the March board meeting, the board will approve the final budget, and then we'll send it over to the city. And, again, I wanna thank all of the people who helped put this part together and to help get us to this point. I wanna thank you in advance to the board for the work that you guys will do to help us make decisions on what's based on based on what's right for kids for for Colonial Heights. So thank you all for your time, and I appreciate it so much."}],"actions_provenance":[{"action":"approve_naloxone_policy","topicintro":{"block_id":"b2596.245","local_start":0,"local_end":112,"evidence_excerpt":"So, Christy George came to me earlier in the year and asked me if we could consider having this policy brought forward, and Stacy has helped, to develop a policy in order for our first step, and that would be for our school nurses to be trained to administer naloxone. So we would just ask the board to consider this so that we can kind of get started and and plan to have this resource available on-site in schools, should the need arise."},"topfinish":{"block_id":"b2647.73","local_start":0,"local_end":34,"evidence_excerpt":"Yes. Mister Nees? Yes."}},{"action":"approve_siren_easement","topicintro":{"block_id":"b2656.97","local_start":0,"local_end":170,"evidence_excerpt":"Yes. I'm gonna ask Troy if, if you could please talk about this for me. Sure. Just a little quick history on that. This is a city project that the city will pay for the project. Currently, they have these emergency weather, sirens located in 3 areas of the city. They have 1 at the city garage. There's 1 at Flora Park, and they're going across the street at the high school. They were interested in finding a location on the North end of the city. You know, 1 that the view of the schools where the city owns the property already."},"topfinish":{"block_id":"b2799.385","local_start":0,"local_end":40,"evidence_excerpt":"Miss Kachuba? Yes. Miss Wallworth? Yes. Miss Fordy? Yes. Mister Nace? Yes."}},{"action":"approve_5yr_CIP","topicintro":{"block_id":"b2861.8","local_start":0,"local_end":160,"evidence_excerpt":"Alright. Item 12 under unfinished business. We have the 5 year finance of the school capital improvement project post. I'll ask Troy if he could take that 1, please."},"topfinish":{"block_id":"b3017.935","local_start":0,"local_end":60,"evidence_excerpt":"Doctor Cox? Yes. Miss Kachuga? Yes. Miss Waller? Yes. Miss Boire? Yes. Mister Lease? Yes."}}]},