Isle of Wight public hearing spotlights teacher pay, special‑education staffing and bus safety

Isle of Wight County residents pressed the School Board on March 6, 2025, during a FY25 budget public hearing at Westside Elementary School, calling for maintained or expanded funding for behavioral support staff, higher pay for teachers and instructional assistants, improvements to school transportation, and a permanent special‑education classroom in Carrsville.

The speakers framed their appeals around student safety, staff retention and equitable access to services. Kawasi Wimbush, a registered behavior technician, told the board, “Behavior program is not a luxury. It is an essential foundation for student success,” and said that in 39 days she worked with 93 students — 56 in special education and 37 in general education across 24 classrooms — conducting functional behavior assessments and supporting de‑escalation and crisis response.

Tiffany Parker, an executive board member of the Hardy Elementary PTA and a parent, described recent transportation failures that she said put children at risk: “A few months ago, my 5 year old daughter, a kindergartner, was placed on the wrong bus,” she said, and noted a bus breakdown that left students stranded and parents not promptly informed. Parker urged the board to back the superintendent’s proposed budget items for increased transportation staffing, replacement of aging buses and improved tracking and communication systems.

Greg Brown, a Hardy Elementary PTA member, praised recent cost‑saving facility moves — including converting the old Hardee building into central offices — and highlighted capital requests in the budget: “Glad to see we’re asking for 5 buses a year, for the next 3 years,” he said, and noted planned ADA bleachers at Smithfield High and discussion about whether engine replacements for old buses are cost‑effective.

Several school employees described heavy workloads and safety concerns. Erin Fitzmaurice, a special resources instructional assistant at Westside Elementary, recounted student assaults and workplace injuries and said the pay differential makes non‑school jobs more attractive: “I could go work at Burger King as a line worker in Newport News and make $19 an hour, and that is $3 more than what I make now,” she said, arguing for higher IA pay.

Shauna Van Schuyver, a school counselor at Windsor Elementary, pressed the board for clarity on raises and step increases, saying educators have been told the district plans “3% raises” but questioning whether that percentage replaces step increases on the salary schedule. She also criticized a prior $10,000 raise granted to clinicians as an example of uneven compensation decisions.

Kimberly Brown, a Carsville homeowner and parent, urged the board to make a Carsville special‑needs classroom permanent so children with high needs can attend closer to home. She said her 5‑year‑old daughter, who is nonverbal and has a heart condition and seizures, currently travels to Windsor for services and that Carrsville has unused sensory classroom space and staff that could serve local students.

Longtime instructional assistant Judy McNoor said staffing for general education IAs has fallen sharply at Smithfield High over her 15‑year tenure and asked for higher pay and updated devices: “My iPad is now obsolete. It won’t update. I use it for Desmos,” she said.

Resident Herb de Groff reviewed long‑term budget trends and urged a professional compensation and benefits study to ensure pay competitiveness with other Hampton Roads districts; he said cost per student has grown markedly since 2015 and urged central office efficiency reviews.

Several speakers tied their budget requests to retention and student outcomes. Timothy Paul, a special‑education inclusion teacher, said classroom assaults and high stress make the work more difficult than his prior military service and emphasized the cost of employee turnover. Kenneth Parker, a parent and director of youth programs with the Department of the Navy, urged the board to prioritize child safety when setting budget priorities for transportation and staff.

The board did not vote on the budget during the public comment portion shown in the transcript. Earlier in the meeting the board approved the open‑session agenda by roll call. After the public comments the board chair said the meeting would recess briefly and transition into a work session where many of the concerns raised would be addressed.

The public hearing brought together parents, PTA members, instructional assistants, counselors and other staff to press the board on recurring themes: preserving specialized behavior supports (RBTs), increasing compensation to recruit and retain teachers and IAs, modernizing and replacing buses and improving parent notification systems, and siting special‑education services closer to students with high needs.

The board will consider these public comments as it continues budget deliberations in subsequent meetings.