Teachers union wants Norfolk to step up

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) - When it comes to supporting Norfolk public schools, local teachers say they barely give the city a passing grade.

"We're going to be lobbying to get them to give a larger portion of the city's budget to schools," said Marian Flickinger, president of the Norfolk Federation of Teachers.

WAVY.com learned Norfolk sets aside 33.4 percent, or $101 million of its city budget, for schools. Facing a $41 million deficit, Flickinger says that if the city wants a world class education, it has to do more.

"Without those increases it's impossible to maintain those programs for our children and we need to put kids first," she said. "And if we put kids first on their priority list, I know we can get more money from them."

WAVY.com compared Norfolk to surrounding cities. Portsmouth, Hampton and Suffolk all contribute less than Norfolk, while Chesapeake, Virginia Beach and Newport News contribute more -- in some cases 10 to 15 percent more.

We took our findings to Norfolk Vice Mayor Anthony Burfoot.

"I think that a lot of that blame, a lot of that responsibility lies in Richmond," Burfoot said. "Every year they continue to under-fund their commitment and it puts more pressure on the locality."

Burfoot says the city council has no control how the district spends the money. He wants to see a less top heavy, more fiscally-responsible administration and tells WAVY.com he is committed to up the city's ante, including creating next year a "...dedicated funding stream for education for capital projects, for schools and for teachers."

The school board will turn its finalized budget over to the city April 1. The Norfolk Federation of Teachers has created a website to urge the public to get involved as the city begins its discussion.

Click here: www.savenorfolkschoolsforourkids.com