Virginia Beach school leaders outline $10.8 million shortfall, offer pay and bonus options

Chair Kathleen Brown opened an administration workshop at 4 p.m. March 25 to review the division’s ongoing budget work amid an unresolved state budget.

Crystal Pate, chief financial officer for the Virginia Beach School Division, told the school board the division is working to address a $10,800,000 shortfall identified in the superintendent’s estimate of needs. Pate said staff divided proposed reductions into two phases: Part 1, measures with “less impact on the division,” and Part 2, measures that would have “more of an impact.”

The overview: why it matters

Pate said Part 1 includes eliminating 22 positions with a net savings of just over $2,200,000, reducing professional leave and travel budgets by 10% (about $174,000), and cutting roughly $1,500,000 through efficiencies in school division services. She added that “no staff will lose their job as these positions include those that were vacant or those where the employee met the requirements to fill another similar position.” Pate also said central-office reductions last year totaled $4,700,000 and that across the two years central-office savings now approach $10,600,000.

Part 2 would…