The school division’s Technology Master Plan is NOT funded by the operating budget. It is funded by the Capital Improvements Plan, which CANNOT be used for the operating budget.

The $10-plus million is not being spent in one year; it will be spent over a five-year period.

The school division is legally required to have a technology plan.
The current CCPS plan incorporates (1) the integration of technology in a manner that allows for appropriate use to ensure that meaningful learning takes place for each student; (2) professional development as a critical element for student success as it directly affects what teachers know and are able to do; (3) connectivity of infrastructure, hardware, and software that serve as the backbone of the system that allows integration to occur; (4) evaluation of the technology system for effectiveness.

The proposed technology plan serves as a vehicle to empower all learners to execute the instructional objectives of the school division as defined by the curriculum and the Design for Excellence strategic plan. It is not one department’s plan but a collective initiative to be incorporated into every school’s actions for school improvement. The technology plan sets levels of expectation not only for equipment and infrastructure but also for student learning, instructional delivery and school leadership.

Myth: There is too much fat in the budget.

Fact: Chesterfield’s per-pupil costs are among the lowest in the state.
Did you know? A 2008 analysis by the Auditor of Public Accounts showed that Chesterfield ranked 102nd out of 134 Virginia school systems in per-pupil costs. According to the same audit, Chesterfield had the lowest per-pupil expenditure of the 15 localities in Virginia with a population of 100,000 or more.

Fact: Not only does the school division have one of the lowest per-pupil expenditures in the state, but it also has received recognition for the substantial academic achievement and progress made while being frugal with funding.
Did you know? Standard & Poor’s compared reading and math proficiency with money spent and determined that Chesterfield schools are extremely effective. Chesterfield ranks third in return on spending among Virginia’s 15 largest school systems.

Myth: Local and state governments have not chipped in to meet educational needs.

Fact: The school division has received adequate funding for public education during the past 10 years that has helped CCPS meet state and national mandates.
Did you know? The most notable change in education during the last 10 years has been the Elementary and Secondary Education and No Child Left Behind acts. State leaders should be commended for fulfilling their commitment to education, with an investment over the last 10 years in helping Virginia’s public school system’s meet the state and federal requirements of NCLB.  As a result of this commitment to meeting applicable benchmarks, state spending on public education in Virginia has increased during the last 10 years. During that same timeframe, Virginia’s ranking as a state that provides quality educational experiences has continued to move toward the top. The requirements of No Child Left Behind have not been scaled back. In fact, the requirements continue to increase.

• The starting point for Annual Measurable Objective for reading and language arts was 60.7 percent in 2001-02; the AMO for reading and language arts in 2009-10 is 85 percent. That is a 40 percent increase in less than a decade. This type of sustained growth in academic achievement requires additional resources.  Remember the closer students get, the harder that gap is to close.
• The starting point for Annual Measurable Objective for math was 58.4 percent in 2001-02; the AMO for reading and language arts in 2009-10 is 83 percent. That is a 42 percent increase in less than a decade. This type of sustained growth in academic achievement requires additional resources.

Myth: The school division spends money without a plan.

Fact: The school division’s expenditures are in line with the Design for Excellence strategic plan.
Did you know? Since 2000, Chesterfield County Public Schools’ student enrollment has grown by more than 8,505 students. That means we have 17 percent more students than we did in 2000. It would be an incomplete equation to just compare just funding-level increases and student growth.  In addition to using funding to meet increasing student achievement benchmarks, the funding from state and local governments has been wisely invested in other areas:

• To accommodate the growth referenced above, we have opened six new schools since 2000: Cosby and Matoaca high schools, Tomahawk Creek and Elizabeth Davis middle schools, and Winterpock and Elizabeth Scott Elementary schools. There are new operational and human resources costs each time you open a new school.
• Chesterfield County Public Schools attracts and retains highly qualified teachers and staff. As a result of this staff, CCPS is the largest school division to have been fully accredited for two straight years, made Adequate Yearly Progress as a division for the third straight year and continues to have state-mandated test scores that are higher than the state average.

Myth: Chesterfield County Public Schools’ workforce has increased for no strategic reason.

Fact: The school division’s workforce increased by 585.8 positions from FY2005-10.
Did you know? Of that total, 367 positions were added to accommodate student growth and 219 positions were added to support student achievement and increasing state/federal benchmarks.