Principle Blackwell

2010 1 week before school starts

I looked at the five teachers and cleaned my glasses.

"Education isn't cheap, the average budget for a high school varies because it's not all one lump sum that you can spend at will, but I'm going to break it down for you. The average high school budget in New Hampshire is as follows, and keep in mind I'm rounding down here. 7 million dollars for educational purposes, 4 million dollars for operations and matinence, for debt services that adds another 4 million dollars, Transportation is 3 hundred thousand dollars, retirement ,your retirement is 39 hundred thousand dollars, capital projects... zero, 5 million dollars in working cash, and finally 1.2 million for tort or as I like to call it lawsuit money."

I paused, I needed them to understand this, especially Gladly, he was new.

"The average yearly budget for a high school in New Hampshire is about 21 million dollars. Our combined budget for Winslow High school is 13 million dollars. That is a budget short fall of 9 million dollars. We have 5 million dollars to spend on education, 2 million dollars on maintenance, another 3 million on debt which is getting worse by the way, another 1.5 million on tort because we will get sued and the rest has to be budgeted very carefully or we will get into even more debt."

Gladly raised his hand.

"And what can we do?"

I sighed, we couldn't exactly afford the best and brightest.

"If you're wondering why we use obsolete everything, if your wondering why we don't do fieldtrips. Why boosters have to pay for all of our sports related activities, that's why. This in and of itself is bad but we're also..."

I put the newspaper on the table.

'worst city in the country'

"Guess who's number 1 again... I dare you, guess?"

They looked away.

"Yeah, things are bad, real bad and I know I come off as being a goddamn bitch, I'm sorry for that I really am, but this is my reality, our reality. I want to keep all of you employed, I want our student's to succeed and to do that I need funding, we need funding, and it doesn't help that fucking Arcadia is sucking money like a vampire from the general fund."

I felt tired exhausted.

"The school's falling apart, the gang situation is terrible and teachers have been killed. It's bad out there, but I got us a way out of this hole."

I placed down two folders, then brought out some paperwork.

"This is top secret, as in you will go to jail if you have loose lips secret, I'm trying to trust you guys but if you can't do it leave, if you can sign."

They signed the paperwork and I opened the first manilla envelope.

"This is Sophia Hess, Alternate name? Shadow Stalker, a probationary ward, just having her here gives us a little over 30 thousand in extra funding."

I paused.

"That isn't nearly enough to cover our 8 million dollar short fall but we can use her to get leverage, to get some debts forgiven and people, we have a shit load of debt. The real advantage is that she gives us an ace in the hole if the gangs come knocking... and they will."

I opened the second envelope.

"This Is Greg Veder, also known as Void cowboy he has of this date been in 33 Endbringer battles, with commodations of valor in several of them, he has participated in the deaths of six Endbringers."

Gladly's eyes opened in shock the others stared at me.

"He..."

"Yeah he started in middle school and has been hitting every Endbringer fight he can. The UN has a program for underaged capes who have fought in Endbringer battles, 1 thousand dollars to the schools that house said capes, a year per Endbringer battle. That's 33 thousand dollars into the general fund no strings attached, except one thing, the federal, state and city government have a matching policy so that ammount is really 132 thousand dollars."

I paused.

"That's just one program, there are others, there is a program that gives a hundred thousand dollars for the schools that house someone who was in an Endbringer victory, Greg has been in 8, the federal government matches that. So thats 1.6 million dollars a year just to have him sit in a chair at our school. That brings us up to roughly 14 million dollars which is still god awful and not nearly enough, but it gets better. You see thats just the UN and US."

I smiled.

"As thanks the countries where these victories happened give money to the schools of underaged parahumans who fought, or won victories in their country. These national funds which I did tap add up to 2.3 million dollars. Bringing us up to 16 million dollars rounding down. Then you bring in the charities, there are a bunch of them, because underaged parahumans who risk their lives in the war?"

I tapped my finger on the desk.

"Thats a celebrity cause, I have tapped everyone in sight and that brings us another oh 2 million."

Gladly blinks.

"You're kidding."

"I have spent months hitting the pavement Gladly, I want to save this school, save your jobs and I did what I had to do."

I took in a breath.

"A lot of the charities have strings attached, but it's saving our ass on maintenace and educational costs, so all together tapping every federal, national, state, local and private charity I could, Greg brings us 9.23 million dollars, bringing our buget of 13 million to, 22 million dollars."

I paused.

"Winslow needs the money, and that means that you need the money because this is your paycheck."

Gladly raised his hand.

"Aren't we you know stealing from um..."

"No his prize money is in a seperate account, yes these programs were created for third world countries who send their capes to war but... well I'm going to do whatever I have to do to keep this school open. So this is what's going to happen, these two students have to remain a part of our high school."

I took in a breath.

"Accommodations will be made for Greg's lifestyle, you will all adjust your homework, and test to accommodate his needs, because if he decides he wants to transfer to lets say Arcadia? Well we go from finally having enough funding to actually do our jobs, and a little extra to pay down our massive debts, to back to 13 million dollars. You will make the same adjustments for Sophia because once again, we need every break we can."

I paused.

"Let's get this straight Greg's a hero, but the chance of him surviving all four years? It's basically nothing, Sophia's chances are pretty much 100%. These two student's are our priorities, Sophia has a reputation for being... rough around the edges so please keep that in mind and overlook some of her boisterousness. Greg has a tendency to be bullied."

I stared at him.

"That isn't going to happen in Winslow, as nice as the funding is keep in mind he is a war hero who routinely risks his life for our species. If he needs to to leave because of bullying I will not be happy, dismissed."

They left and I went over my notes, I didn't know how much time I had to turn things around, to save this school but I would be damned if it happened on my watch.

"Whatever it takes."

I opened the blinds and stared out into the court yard.

"Whatever it takes."