It’s the start of budget season, and Stafford County Schools is talking about its needs.
Division Superintendent Dr. Scott Kizner presented his annual budget plan to the School Board. It calls for a $57 million increase in spending over the previous year. This would be used to pay for new counselors, English and foreign language teachers at middle schools, as well as school maintenance.
The new teachers would be hired to address the teacher turnover rate in the county, which sits at about 15%. Most teachers leave for higher-paying jobs in school divisions like Prince William, Spotsylvania, and Fairfax counties, respectively.
In last year’s budget, Stafford’s teachers received a 5% pay raise. That’s something supporters of “Red for Ed,” affiliated with the National Education Association, cheered about when Kizner reminded them during his budget presentation.
As many as 700 new students are expected in the school district next year, and there’s also a plan to improve school attendance. For the first time, enrollment is expected to top 30,000 students.
“If kids aren’t going to be at school, I can assure you they’re not going to be learning,” said Kizner.
The student population in the division has grown 5% in the past 10 years.
Stafford spends an average of $10,245 per year on each student. In neighboring Spotsylvania County, it’s $10,908, according to Kizner. The state-average per-pupil spending is $12,171, he added.
Kizner also addressed proposed increases in education spending in Gov. Ralph Northam’s budget, to include salary increases for teachers in FY 2022, more financial support to low-income students, and getting rid of reduced-price lunches for students, making them free of charge.
Kizner also announced his resignation as chief of the Stafford County Public Schools division the same night he delivered his budget presentation to the School Board. He’ll leave the job in January 2021.
The School Board hire Kizner to lead the division in 2018.
