Stafford School Board Approves Budget Amendment
Amended budget is based on updated state revenue projections.
by Adele Uphaus
MANAGING EDITOR AND CORRESPONDENT
The Stafford School Board approved its budget for the upcoming fiscal year two weeks ago, but met again on Tuesday to approve an amendment based on new state revenue projections.
The budget of February 13 assumed $23.8 million in new money from the state of Virginia, based on Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s proposed budget.
But there are now two other versions of the state budget, one in the House of Delegates and one in the Senate, and both would provide additional money to the school division on top of Youngkin’s increase.
According to a presentation given by staff at the School Board’s special meeting Tuesday afternoon, the House of Delegate’s budget would increase the school division’s funding by $6.2 million and the Senate’s budget by $15.7 million.
Staff on Tuesday proposed—and the Board approved—amending its agenda to assume a total of $30.3 million in new funding from the state. The increase is enough to fund the first phase of improvements to the salary scale for service employees.
The amended budget requests a total transfer of about $172 million from the Board of Supervisors. This includes $15 million in new local funding and aligns with the County Administrator’s proposed budget.
It does not, however, fund all the school division’s needs, as Superintendent Thomas Taylor told the Board of Supervisors during a joint meeting of the two Boards that took place after the School Board’s special meeting.
Some needs that are not included in the School Board’s budget are funding to implement staffing standards and reduce class sizes, provide differentiated compensation for hard-to-staff positions, establish a PAYGO major maintenance fund, enhance school safety, and invest in student and staff wellness.
All of the unfunded needs together total $56.4 million.
Supervisors on Tuesday said they want to work with the School Board to provide for the county’s students. But some also said they are worried about raising taxes in a real estate re-assessment year.
Supervisors will vote on an advertised tax rate on March 5. After the rate is advertised, it can go down or stay the same, but it can’t be increased.
Local Obituaries
To view local obituaries or to send a note to family and loved ones, please visit our website at the link that follows.
Weather and Traffic
Support Award-winning, Locally Focused Journalism
In less than a year, FXBG Advance has become the news leader in Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, and Stafford through its innovative mix of:
Twice-daily newsletter - At 6 AM and 5 PM every Monday through Friday, the Advance brings the most important news directly to your inbox.
Education Reporting - Adele Uphaus has won multiple awards for her coverage of education issues locally and across the state. Now, she brings her experience, insights, and expertise to the Advance, providing our citizens some of the finest education writing and reporting in the commonwealth.
Political Reporting - From council meetings to campaigns, and fundraising to finance, the Advance is returning the Fourth Estate to its rightful place as a government watch dog.
Breaking News - From court cases to high-profile government moves, the Advance is the first to inform residents.
Investigative Journalism - Last year, the Advance broke major stories around improperly filed election documents, misleading sample ballots, disenfranchising Spotsylvania Count School parents, and book bans.
Election Coverage - The Advance offered the most complete coverage of the 2023 election, with in-depth candidate profiles, daily tracking of events, leading debates, and pre-dawn to post-midnight Election Day coverage. And 2024 brings even greater coverage.
Spotlights - From local businesses to nonprofit organizations and regional leaders, the Advance brings the people who make things happen to your attention.
Multi-partisan Commentary - Martin Davis is a 20-plus-year journalist recognized for superior commentary and political writing; Shaun Kenney has his hands on the pulse of political leaders across the Commonwealth. Together, they bring an unparalleled level of analysis and insight into the issues that drive debate in our region.
Political Cartoons - Clay Jones is a nationally recognized talent who draws weekly for CNN. He has returned to Fredericksburg to level his critical eye and razor-sharp drawing at the topics which make us both laugh, and look closer at ourselves.
New Dominion Podcast - Each week, Martin Davis and Shaun Kenney interview guests from across the region and the state. Growing to over 1,000 listeners in just six months, NDP has become a leading force in political, cultural, and social discussion.
We thank each and every one of you who have made the Advance a part of your day, and we’re excited to say that more-exciting announcements are just around the corner as we continue to innovate and expand our coverage of the region.
The donations of individual readers have made this year possible. Please join the hundreds who are supporting excellence in journalism by subscribing for just $8 a month.
Where does your money go?
It goes to support the great journalists we have - like Adele Uphaus - and the ones we look to hire in the year ahead.
If you can spare $8 a month, we’ll be both grateful, and reward your trust in us with more journalism, more stories, and more connections to organizations and people who make our region a great place to live.
If you can’t, thank you for reading the FXBG Advance!, and consider sharing us with your friends.
In 2024, let’s build an even better Advance - together!
Thank you for reading and supporting FXBG Advance.
-Martin Davis, Editor-in-Chief