How should Norfolk schools spend money next year? The board is now deciding.

Norfolk — Norfolk’s superintendent is proposing raises for staff as well as bonuses for employees who’ve taken on additional responsibilities as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Superintendent Sharon Byrdsong presented her proposed 2021-22 budget on Wednesday, one year to the day that she was sworn in as the school’s chief. This meeting marked the first time the board met in person in a year, although it wasn’t advertised as such.

Byrdsong’s budget looks much like her first before it was cut substantially because of the pandemic. Those needs are still there, plus more, she said.

“Candidly, our children and staff’s needs surpass our resources,” Byrdsong said. “Nonetheless, it is a solid plan that lays the foundation for recovery from a pandemic.”

Byrdsong’s proposed $350 million operating budget is roughly what Norfolk budgeted this year before the coronavirus pandemic hit and city and state funding was cut. Many of the budget items proposed were approved last year but ultimately cut from the amended budget.

Beyond that expected restoration of funding — city and state budgets are not yet finalized — the biggest change to next year’s budget is an additional $50 million in federal CARES Act funding on top of the operating budget, compared with $18 million this year.

After hearing Byrdsong’s proposal, the board heard from residents about their spending priorities. This was the board’s second public hearing on the budget. In normal years, this draws dozens of speakers but Wednesday just four people, three of whom identified themselves as employees, registered to give comments over Zoom.

Only an overview of the budget was made publicly available in advance of Wednesday’s meeting, common in Norfolk but in contrast to other area school districts. Board members received the “budget book” with the complete proposal after Wednesday’s meeting, but it has not been made available publicly.

Among Byrdsong’s proposals:

• Increasing teachers’ starting pay from $44,220 to $47,000 — initially proposed last year and cut from the budget when state funding fell;
• A step increase for all other teachers resulting in an average 5.1% pay bump;
• Additional pay for teachers who handle in-person and virtual students concurrently, as well as bonus pay for custodians, bus drivers and school nutrition employees; Kenita Matthews, a district spokeswoman, said Wednesday morning that the amounts hadn’t been determined yet;
• Five additional specialists to assist students with behavioral needs — cut from this year’s budget;
• Nine staff to help students with attendance issues and chronic absenteeism — five new positions were proposed and cut from this year’s budget;
• Five additional security officers to be “roving” security for the district’s elementary schools — Norfolk planned to add security officers to every elementary school this year, but the new positions were cut from the budget.

For capital improvements, which are budgeted separately from the operating fund, Byrdsong is asking the city council for $16 million, though she wrote in a letter to the school board that the need is greater and $42 million would be more “reasonable,” given the age of Norfolk’s schools and what neighboring districts spend.

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The $16 million would go toward roof replacements at Booker T. Washington High and Oceanair and Ingleside elementary schools. It would also pay for HVAC work at Jacox Elementary School and door and window replacements at six other elementary schools.

The city budgeted $9 million for capital improvement projects this year, but typically spends $3 million.

The board was scheduled to vote on the budget at its next meeting, March 17, but Chairwoman Adale Martin announced the board will now meet March 10 as well.

The district is midway through its budget process. Norfolk typically holds two public hearings, one in December so that residents can weigh in before administrators develop the budget.

Now that Byrdsong has presented her proposal, it’s up to the school board to approve or make changes.

The board must send its budget to the city April 1. Once the City Council approves its budget — which includes funding for schools — the budget will come back to the school board to make neccessary adjustments resulting from changes to local or state funding projections.

Sara Gregory, 757-469-7484, sara.gregory@pilotonline.com