The Stafford County School Board adopted a $457.9 million fiscal year 2025 operating budget during its regular meeting on Tuesday. The provisional budget remains focused on correcting service and licensed staff salary scales.
“We remain a system of people, not things,” school board chair Maureen Siegmund said. “This provisional budget allows us to provide our service staff with an average 8.7% salary increase, licensed staff with a 5.2% average salary increase, and provide our paraprofessionals with an average salary increase of 9%.”
The Stafford County Board of Supervisors recently provided $13 million in new revenue to the schools, a number that comes out $2 million short of the amount requested by the school board. The resulting budget addresses $8.6 million in adjustments to the base budget and $16.6 million in non-discretionary expenses — those that allow the district to keep its doors open.
The board of supervisors also approved funding for Elementary School 19, a rebuild of Edward E. Drew Middle School and allocated $14.5 million for overdue repairs and maintenance of school buildings; the board also reaffirmed its funding for constructing Elementary School 18, and High School 6, partly addressing rapid growth.
“Each year, we are adding enough students to fill a new elementary school, but we have not added a building to address capacity since 2008,” Superintendent Dr. Thomas W. Taylor said. “The board of supervisors took an important first step, but there remains much work to be done to address growth and repair our crumbling buildings and infrastructure.
“The school system still has $49 million in unfunded needs that address staffing, compensation, infrastructure, maintenance, and engagement among many other critical issues.”
“Last year, we told the board of supervisors that we would not be able to make the necessary repairs and investments in buildings if the budget was not fully funded, and that remains true,” added Siegmund. “While the board of supervisors is providing one-time funding allowances, this is not sustainable and perpetuates our funding problem. This year alone we again avoided a near-catastrophe at Rodney Thompson MS and there are other unseen and unaddressed issues that are deeply concerning. It is past time to fully fund the school system.”
A majority of Stafford’s school funding — more than 60% — is provided through state funding. The school board will revisit and adopt a final budget after the state government adopts its final budget later this summer. If additional funding is provided by the state, the school board may have the opportunity to make additional increases in staffing and staff compensation.
“Having an incredible teacher in front of the classroom, as well as the staff supporting them, is the best predictor of success for a child’s future,” Siegmund said. “Adopting a provisional budget tonight allows our school division to move forward with issuing contracts, an important step in retaining our amazing faculty and staff, recruiting high-quality teachers, and demonstrating our commitment to supporting and investing in all staff.”
