THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 14, 1995 TAG: 9505130085
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 07 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Long : 139 lines
`My future is with you!'
April 21, 1995
``If the School Board of Virginia Beach really supports me . . . I'd work for less than I do now. . . . ''
- Sidney L. Faucette
Virginia Beach school superintendent
May 2, 1995
``Virginia Beach schools Superintendent Sidney L. Faucette went to Georgia on Monday to interview for a job as top administrator of one of that state's largest school districts.''
- The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star
May 8, 1995
TO: Leadership team
Principals
Communications Group Representatives
Citywide PTA Council
and School PTA Presidents
FROM: Sidney L. Faucette
Superintendent
SUBJECT: Career plans
Today, I have given notice to the Chairman of the Gwinnett county (GA) School Board and to Mrs. June Turner Kernutt, Chairman of the Virginia Beach City School Board, that I am no longer a candidate for the superintendent's position in Gwinnett County. I wanted to directly share this information with you in hopes that speculation over my departure will end and we can get on with the important work to be done here for the school children of Virginia Beach.
When I became superintendent in Virginia Beach, I publicly stated my plans for this to be my last job in public education. That remains true today. I have two years remaining on my contract and will seek reappointment at the appropriate time.
I am extremely proud of our prog-ress over the past three years and 10 months and know that the future is even brighter. Shared decision making, traditional discipline, active parental involvement, business partnerships, customer service/sat-is-fac-tion, and school improvement are now natural components of our culture. Our efforts have proven effective school research to be on target in recognizing the role of the principal as critical to school success. Children are the winners because of your commitment to them. We are in this together - for them.
My future is with you! Thanks for all that you are doing for the children of Virginia Beach.''
May 12, 1995
``(Gwinnett School Board Chairman Joel) Taylor said the board persuaded Faucette to reconsider. . . . Board member Dan Sackinger echoed Taylor's confidence in Faucette. `We're relying on him to have told us the truth,' said Sackinger. `He told us he absolutely wants the job.' ''
- Gwinnett EXTRA,
a publication of The Atlanta Constitution
$7.4 million short . . .
$12.4 million short . . . $1.9 million over . . .
Dec. 22, 1994
``School officials, facing a shortfall of as much as $7.4 million this budget year, have called a halt to some hiring and spending to try to make ends meet. . . .
`` `We were scraping at the end of the ('93-'94) year (said Superintendent Faucette). The truth of it is, we didn't track it as well as we should have.'
``This year, he said, the school system is starting early, counting enrollment and revising state money estimates monthly. . . .
``Next year, to be safe, Faucette and Smith said they will budget slightly less state money than they are projected to receive.''
- The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star
April 21, 1995
``I can promise you there's nothing going on with the budget, the current one or the one for next year, that has piqued my interest in leaving Virginia Beach.''
- Sidney L. Faucette
Virginia Beach school superintendent
May 8, 1995
``To: Mr. James K. Spore, City Manager
``From: Patricia A. Phillips, Director of Finance
``Subject: School Revenue and Expenditure
``I have reviewed the School's revenue and expense projections; Mort Smith indicates that he expects to not be in a deficit position for the year ended 6/30/95. He will accomplish this by doing the following:
1. Reduce salary cost through elimination of workshops and other actions. Expected combined savings from all efforts is $4 million.
``2. Transfer salary cost currently being charged to the School Operating Fund to Title VI-B9 grant fund. Anticipated amount is approximately $1 - $2 million.
``3. Expecting a rebate from Virginia Power of approximately $1 million.
``4. Transfer ADA costs currently being incurred in the School Operating Fund to CIP ($300,000 to $500,000).
``5. Transfer indirect and direct costs to other School Funds: Self Insurance and Cafeteria Fund. Anticipated transfer of approximately $500,000 to $2 million.
``6. Expecting a return to School Board of $300,000 of monies advanced to various schools.
``7. Federal revenue: Mort is negotiating about another $3 million under PL 874 (Impact Aid).
``8. Summer school tuition may produce another $500,000 in revenue.
``This is optimistic, but probably doable. We will continue to monitor expenditures. However, it is likely that the revenue side will not be resolved until June or July. I have offered staff assistance to Mort in monitoring expenditures, including extra financial reports on a frequent basis.
``c: Dr. Sidney Faucette''
May 9, 1995
``The budget is not what I would call in any kind of trouble. We just need to make a few adjustments.''
- Mordecai L. Smith, chief finance officer, Virginia Beach public schools
`` `This to me is a normal thing to do. This is normal procedure when you don't know where $10 million to $12 million is coming from.''
- Louisa Strayhorn, Councilwoman
and former School Board member
``Mr. Smith has assured me several times that we're on solid ground. And since he's the chief financial officer, I rely on what he tells me.''
- June T. Kernutt, chairwoman
Virginia Beach School Board
May 11, 1995
``(Superintendent Sidney L. Faucette) says he must make about $12.4 million in spending cuts and money transfers to keep the budget in the black, up from the $7.4 million shortfall he had projected until recently. But he continues to stress that he plans to have a surplus of up to $1.9 million on June 30, the end of the fiscal year . . . He is due to present the board Tuesday with a 16-page list of money transfers, from line items that are in the black to line items that are in the red, which he says will balance the budget. . . .
- Virginian-Pilot and Ledger-Star
KEYWORDS: VIRGINIA BEACH SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT by CNB