EDUCATION
When people and business look to locate in any locality, several factors are used to make that decision. Factors that parents and business leaders deem vitally important are crime and safety, education, economics, housing, cultural attractions, and health. According to Crimeinamerica.net “people in the 15 to 25 age group (those most prone to criminal activity) who graduate from high school and earn more money will be less likely to enter the criminal justice system.”
By investing in education, Suffolk could also help attract families and businesses and stimulate economic growth. The city and the school system should be working hand in hand to ensure that skills, needed for the city’s workforce, are being taught. There needs to be a concerted effort to try and retain quality personnel for the school division as Suffolk at this point is reaching the “tipping point”. Who could blame teachers for jumping to another school division for more pay due to added paperwork,increased class loads, the new state evaluation process, and the pressures of high stakes testing? The Suffolk City Council has failed to appropriate funding equal to surrounding divisions,
yet Suffolk Public Schools is continually compared to those school divisions. The composite index is a calculation that determines the local ability to fund education and is based on Local True Value of Property, Local Adjusted Gross Income(AGI) from State Tax
returns, Local Taxable sales, local Average Daily Membership (ADM), and local population. Each time the composite index goes up for the city, state funding is reduced. This is a calculation that determines the wealth of the locality and its ability to fund public education. Above is a chart that depicts Suffolk’s percentage of contribution and its rank compared to the other school divisions in the area.
By investing in education, Suffolk could also help attract families and businesses and stimulate economic growth. The city and the school system should be working hand in hand to ensure that skills, needed for the city’s workforce, are being taught. There needs to be a concerted effort to try and retain quality personnel for the school division as Suffolk at this point is reaching the “tipping point”. Who could blame teachers for jumping to another school division for more pay due to added paperwork,increased class loads, the new state evaluation process, and the pressures of high stakes testing? The Suffolk City Council has failed to appropriate funding equal to surrounding divisions,
yet Suffolk Public Schools is continually compared to those school divisions. The composite index is a calculation that determines the local ability to fund education and is based on Local True Value of Property, Local Adjusted Gross Income(AGI) from State Tax
returns, Local Taxable sales, local Average Daily Membership (ADM), and local population. Each time the composite index goes up for the city, state funding is reduced. This is a calculation that determines the wealth of the locality and its ability to fund public education. Above is a chart that depicts Suffolk’s percentage of contribution and its rank compared to the other school divisions in the area.