Smith speaks on retirement

PALMYRA — In 1988, Fluvanna County Public Schools hired the former Charlottesville City Schools outpatient neurological problems director. The new hire was a fresh face with a recent doctorate in education from nearby University of Virginia.

The first stop was being in charge of federal programs as well as reading and math programs. Then FCPS moved him in charge of pupil services then shifted him to instruction and budgeting before naming him the assistant superintendent of instruction and budgeting.

After employing the UVa graduate for 14 years, Fluvanna’s School Board named him superintendent. He took the reins of the county’s school system in the midst of Fluvanna’s rapid growth.

Eight years the employee worked as superintendent. The 22-year employment of Dr. Tom Smith ends when he goes into retirement June 30.

The announcement was made with much surprise as Smith told the School Board on Feb. 18 during a discussion on next year’s budget. To Smith, it wasn’t a question if he needed to or not, it was a question as to how he could help Fluvanna save as many jobs as possible.

“If there was any way my retirement might benefit saving dollars, might benefit the board in making its plan on helping other people, that I would go ahead and do that,” Smith said. “To me it was the right decision at the right time.”

Under the Virginia Retirement System, Smith is eligible to retire. He has 32 years in the system. Under VRS, an individual who is 65 years old or 50 years old with 30 years of service is eligible to retire. Smith turned 58 last week.

A few questions are floating as to why Smith decided, less than a year removed from signing a new four-year contract, he wanted to step away. Even more questions came because of the recent change in School Board culture.

Smith said, “I can retire tomorrow. It doesn’t have to be in June. If I were going to run from something, I’m not sure I would stay around until June.”

According to some, Smith has been living with too much comfort in recent years. His salary, around $165,000 plus benefits, puts him well above average for size of the district.

“The board approved the salary each year,” Smith noted. “And so, if past boards did not think I was not worth that salary, my assumption is they wouldn’t have approved it.”

Smith also pointed out his salary isn’t just based on his job title. He has more experience and recognition than other regional superintendents. He has be requested to testify for federal and state level legislative committees as well as being recognized by numerous awards.

He believes his experience, as well as salary, are probably placed in the top third of Virginia superintendents.

His central office staff makes more than most too. The staff, including Smith, are doing very well compared to neighboring counties.

Smith said, “There is not one of them that has one job. They each wear multiple hats. Often times school divisions have one person that does, I’ll say testing.

“We have one person who does testing and oversees all instruction and is the media person and does a wide variety of other things. I think that’s what people need to understand.”

Besides high salary complaints, there is the still heated debate on the Domino Plan.

Fluvanna’s Board of Supervisors approved a plan, backed by the School Board Office and the School Board, to construct a $70 million high school at Pleasant Grove, renovate the previous high school for a middle school and renovate the previous middle school for an upper elementary school.

“There was the decision to have one high school in Fluvanna. In doing that, that school building itself will open with a capacity of 1,500 but will be expandable to 1,750 and some of it expandable to 2,500. That was the direction we had from the Board of Supervisors when planning the building,” Smith said.

After the first phase is completed, the second phase is to build a new elementary school and a new middle school plus expanding the most recently constructed high school.

Smith said, “People forget that this plan was actually the cheapest of those recommended.”

The other option was to expand the current high school and build new elementary and middle schools. Then in a few years, build a second high school.

Education isn’t measured by brick and mortar but by success and test scores. In January the district was one of 15 divisions state-wide to earn the Virginia Board of Education Excellence Award.

When Fluvanna first tapped Smith to take the helm of the schools, he looked to embrace individual education plans more than anything. With that, FCPS has increased technology in and around the classroom, courses offered in the high school and middle school, dual enrollment and graduation ratings.

“When you concentrate on the individual child–and you worry about one child as the next–and you plan for what needs to be done with that child, then you see these other things grow out of that,” Smith said.

Fluvanna meets or exceeds state test scores in all core subjects. Less teachers are teaching academic core class that do not meet federal requirements than before.

“I think we’ve been successful,” Smith said but he knows there is still work left to be done.

After this school year the work ahead won’t be led by Smith. What is next for the educator is anyone’s best bet.

“I’m going to be involved in education some way. I also cannot see me not being involved in education in some way,” Smith said.

He hasn’t quite had a chance to think about what he will do next with a budget still needing trimming on the table.

After being employed with Fluvanna for two-thirds of his adult life, it won’t be easy walking away.

After all, his children have graduated from Fluvanna County High School. He has seen students start in kindergraten, graduate and then come back and teach in Fluvanna. Smith has a residence in the county but soon he won’t have a job in Fluvanna.

“When you are so focused on a job, it’s hard to think past that job. Now I’m beginning to say, ‘What else is there?’” Smith asks rhetorically.

On July 1, 2010, he will have to answer that question for the first time in 22 years.

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Editor’s note: This is the final part of a three part look into Dr. Smith’s retirement announcement. For more, please visit: http://flucoblog.com/retirement

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