Higher Sales Tax Revenues Mean Spotsylvania Schools May Receive an Additional $1 Million for 2025 Budget
This evening's work session focuses on finalizing the budget, approving the teacher salary scale, and taking the first steps to use additional state sales tax revenues to cover maintenance needs.
By Martin Davis
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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This evening’s Spotsylvania School Board work session is focused on tying up budgetary loose ends and approving an amendment to the 2025 budget to use an additional $1 million state sales tax funds on maintenance needs.
On the 2026 budget, the Board will be voting on the salary scales for the upcoming year, and it will be doing some balancing of the 2026 budget.
“Our version,” said Phil Trayer, chief financial officer for the district, “while monetarily the same,” will be altered to a degree. “We are forced into this scenario because the State Budget is not set,” he told the Advance by email.
For the 2025 budget, the district expects $1 million more in state sales tax revenue than was projected.
Each year, the state provides an estimate to school districts of the revenues it projects that sales taxes will generate for the district. Trayer told the Advance that the district gets the money “on a monthly basis, but it’s generally about 60 days behind.” Trayer has been watching the totals closely, and the district should receive an additional $1 million for the 2025 budget that it did not anticipate receiving.
Trayer told the Advance over the phone that this presents “an opportunity” to meet some of the challenges the district faces regarding maintenance issues, including asphalt resurfacing and purchasing new equipment.
If approved tonight, the request for the additional funds will then go to the county’s finance committee and then to the Board of Supervisors for final approval.
The meeting starts at 5:30 p.m.
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