Stafford Schools Superintendent Daniel W. Smith on Tuesday night presented a $490.7 million funding request to the county School Board for the next fiscal year, which would represent an increase of 6.5 percent over the current fiscal year’s budget.
Projected revenue for the fiscal year that begins July 1 would be only $476.4 million, however, leaving a funding gap of $14.2 million that local officials will try to close over the next few weeks.
That projected gap would persist even though the county’s share of funding for the schools is expected to increase in the next fiscal year by $5.1 million.
“To continue to support our students’ critical role in Stafford’s vitality, we must invest in the facilities, staff and resources necessary to meet their needs and to ensure success,” Smith told School Board members.
Tuesday’s announcement only marked the beginning of budget season. The School Board is scheduled to discuss the funding request before giving its OK for a spending plan on Feb. 25. Then Stafford’s Board of Supervisors, which has the final say over local funding for the schools, would need to approve education spending as part of the overall county budget. That action is scheduled for April 15.
Press the Issue
The Stafford School Board will hold two town hall meetings on the budget, on Feb. 4 at Brooke Point High School and on Feb. 6 at Rodney E. Thompson Middle School. They each will begin at 6 p.m. A public hearing on the budget is set for Feb. 11 at 7 p.m.
Smith’s funding request, which is $29.9 million more than the current budget of $460.7 million, includes a 3-percent average pay raise for all school employees.
“I believe that each of our team members play a critical role in our daily work, striving to our vision for success,” Smith said. “We have all experienced inflation and challenges, and I believe that we must compensate our employees appropriately.”
The spending plan also calls for the addition of the equivalent of 124.8 full-time positions, including 66.4 teaching jobs and 36 paraprofessional slots. The school division is already the largest employer in Stafford County with 5,404 workers.
One of the challenges in formulating a budget is the rising cost of health insurance for employees. Insurance claims have increased by more than 15 percent this year, the superintendent said, and are projected to exceed 20 percent by year’s end.
Stafford’s school division is now paying about $1,500 more for insurance per full-time employee compared to last year, and employee premiums are anticipated to increase by 5 to 7.5 percent, ranging from $4 to $25 more per month, depending on which plan workers choose.
Closing the $14.2 million budget funding gap would be an investment in the school division that would allow officials to continue to provide the same educational quality while making adjustments for new students, Smith said.
“Without this investment,” he said, “our parents and community will experience a decrease in educational services, and we will be moving in the wrong direction.”
After Tuesday’s meeting, School Board member Susan Randall said she’s concerned about the projected funding gap. But every year she’s optimistic that her board’s relationships with the supervisors and the community will make the situation better.
”So I’m hopeful that, you know, we’ll work up our partnership and make better things happen,” said Randall, who represents the George Washington District.
School Board Chairwoman Maureen Siegmund noted the work that elected officials have ahead.
“I really appreciate the work that’s gone into putting this budget together, and I look forward to working with our supervisors and the state to make better strides for our students,” Siegmund said.
Four Stafford supervisors came to Tuesday’s School Board meeting after wrapping up their own gathering across Route 1 from the school administration offices: Board of Supervisors Chairman Deuntay Diggs, Vice Chairwoman Tinesha Allen, Aquia District Supervisor Monica Gary and Garrisonville District Supervisor Pamela Yeung.
Diggs noted that he and his peers were able to see only the ending of Smith’s presentation, but he said a “thriving” school system supports the economic diversity that local officials want and bolsters the supervisors’ strategic vision and plans.
“We’re going to do everything that we can to support the School Board,” Diggs said. “You know, we’re all in this together.”
