Tuition increase prospected, Va. schools also affected

By Brittany Daniels and Sarah Sonies

University tuition is prospected to rise at the start of next year but there will not be a set amount until the Virginia House of Delegates and Senate of Virginia Budget Committees report their version of the state budget Feb. 21.

The recent decision to defer mid-year tuition increases was made in early December by the executive committee of the VCU board of visitors. John Bennett, the senior vice president for the Office of Finance and Administration said VCU cannot continue to offer the types of programs and degrees it does at the price they are charging.

“We’re basically charging at or lower than small liberal arts schools,” Bennett said. “Something’s got to give. Either we’re going to have to stop doing what it is we’re doing or we’re going to have to change our charge structure.”

Bennett said tuition is going to have to go up, not because VCU administration wants to but because the state is pulling back.

According to Bennett’s Report on State Funding Reductions and VCU’s Budget Outlook, the lack of funds shows up in class size, the number of courses, the number of sections in a course, the faculty salary levels, steady declines in the percentage of tenure-track faculty, low numbers of graduate assistantships, low stipends for doctoral students and other numerous areas.

“Nobody sits here and says ‘Gee, let’s raise tuition this year,’ “ Bennett said. “ Nobody wants to do that.”

VCU does not stand alone in making big changes because of state budget cuts, which could force Virginia school districts to adopt a “doomsday budget” that would require laying off teachers and staff, increasing student-teacher ratios, eliminating summer school and taking other drastic measures, the Virginia Association of School Superintendents warned Tuesday.

“If the term ‘doomsday budget’ sets off an alarm — good. It is time to be alarmed,” said Milton Liverman, president of VASS and superintendent of Suffolk City Public Schools.

“We want to come together as a group of superintendents because we feel it is important for everybody to know that we are all dealing with the same issues. We’re all concerned about the same negative impact that this General Assembly session could have on the progress that we have made in public education; and we have made tremendous progress.”

A recent survey of Virginia school superintendents by VASS found that:

Nearly 50 percent are considering some form of salary reduction and at least 46 percent are considering cutting incentive programs.

89 percent are considering increasing pupil-teacher ratios and 91 percent are considering cutting teacher positions.

Half of the respondents are considering budget cuts in programs such as summer school remediation, assistance for at-risk students and education for 4-year-olds.

Liverman said the “support staff ratio cap” is one of the main targets of budget reductions. More than $750 million in cuts are in the state budget proposed by then-Gov. Tim Kaine, who left office Saturday. The amount of cuts could increase because the new governor, Bob McDonnell, has rejected tax increases recommended by Kaine.

“This is not a year where we are going to be asking for increases … we’re saying don’t do those cuts in a one-size-fits-all method,” Liverman said. “Give local school districts flexibility and some relief from the unfunded mandates.”

VASS is requesting a delay in the implementation of recent mandates until the state has funding to support implementation of the changes. If implemented now, the mandates would have a “serious negative impact on morale, which can only negatively affect student performance.”

“If these mandates are implemented at a time when state funding is being reduced, we will find fewer schools fully accredited in the future,” Worrell said.

Alan Lee, VASS president-elect and superintendent of Washington County schools, discussed issues with the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

“The federal government does not have the authority to standardize all 50 accountability systems, nor can it closely monitor all the programs for quality,” Lee said.

Eric Williams, superintendent of York County schools, said local school districts are being squeezed by both federal and state authorities.

“With the increasing No Child Left Behind expectations and the shrinking resources we have, schools that are at risk of not making adequate yearly progress,” Williams said.

As for VCU, Bennett said the VCU board of visitors has a tough decision to make.

“Last fall I liked to say VCU was at a crossroads, now I like to say we’re at a tipping point,” Bennett said.