IOW school board passes budget

ISLE OF WIGHT COUNTY, Va. (WAVY) - After weeks of crunching numbers, the Isle of Wight county school board passed its budget with little fanfare. On the inside, one mother was jumping for joy.

"I'm a county employee, county citizen but always a parent first," said Pam Olsen.

Olsen is also a middle school secretary and she was very concerned when board members proposed closing Windsor Middle School to save money.

The proposal would have moved 6th graders to elementary school and 7th and 8th graders to high school. Down nearly $1.9 million, the board was able to save the school and keep jobs, such as library clerks and nurses.

"We owe it to all of the kids in the county and it was important to me regardless of my kids moving on or not," said Olsen.

To make up for the difference, teachers will not get pay raises and empty positions will not be filled said board member T. Hayes Griffin. "As far as this board is concerned that school will remain open until another school is built."

The board is counting on the county to provide $26 million, as it did last year. This is not the end of the school's budget battle. With the paper mill closing and Smithfield foods downsizing the county is bracing for millions in lost revenue.

But some believe the peace and quiet here won't last much longer.

"This board and the board of supervisors has got to sit down and instead of butting heads we're going to have to start working together," says Griffin.

The county will hold a public hearing on its budget April 15. It must be approved by May 1.