VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The Virginia Beach school board held one of their last workshops on Tuesday night before they vote on the 2024/2025 Fiscal Year operation budget next week.
One of the main topics during the meeting was finding alternative solutions. Board members wanted to find different ways of cutting costs that don't require paying to play for sports, or diminishing the number of fine arts and music classes.
Paying to play for sports could've cost around $100 per student. However, multiple board members, including Kathleen Brown and Carolyn Weems, said they could not support that initiative.
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“It really takes away the even playing field, and it turns our sports into something that it’s not meant to be turned into," Weems said. "Sports should be for everybody."
As a result, they will look elsewhere to find the funds.
“When we start trying to do a reduction by finding that money through another avenue and charging families, I think that’s a really big disservice, so that part I will not be able to get behind," said Brown.
The issue of shrinking of fine arts and music classes is a little trickier, as principals make those decisions based off how many students sign up for the class.
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“Course enrollment is driven by student choices, and so that is a sticking point that some people are having a really difficult time wrapping their head around," said Superintendent Donald Robertson.
To find the money to keep these classes in schools, regardless of how many students sign up, other ideas were brought up. From possibly cutting down on the number of assistant principals in schools, to convincing students who plan on graduating early to stay and take those elective courses instead.
“I don’t wanna cut anything that has to touch, that touches our children, our students,” said board member Beverly Anderson.
Even though no solutions were found in the workshop on Tuesday, ideas will continue to be tossed around until the budget is voted on. The final proposed operating budget for the 24/25 year and the 6 year capital improvement plan will be voted on at the school board meeting next week.
