On Tuesday, January 24, Taylor presented a budget about 12% higher than the school board approved in 2022. Taylor says that using the money to pay teachers a higher salary will help retain more qualified educators and benefit students.
The fast-growing school division with about 30,000 students is asking the county government to find more than $340 million in funding for a wishlist of new projects, including three new elementary schools, replacing Drew Middle School, and adding a new wing on North Stafford High School. The increase would double the average homeowner’s property tax bill if approved all at once.
In a press release, the school division states that financial support has decreased over the past 10 years, despite the county’s growing population. In August, the school division had about 900 more elementary school students than anticipated — the equivalent of one elementary school.
The Stafford County School Board has no taxing authority and relies on the county government and Board of Supervisors, state, and federal governments for funding.
“Last year, the [Board of Supervisors] provided one of the largest budget increases in recent years and moved teachers on to their step plan one year early. More recently, the Board acted on the School Board’s request to move Elementary School #18 to this fiscal year after meeting with them and listening to their recommendations. The county is determined to continue this momentum and fully embrace the opportunity to work together in the best interests of our children,” said county government spokesman Andrew Spence.
Starting February 6, 2023, school board members will hold a series of town halls to discuss the budget and the school division’s needs.
Here’s the full press release from Stafford County Public Schools:
Stafford County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Thomas Taylor presented his proposed Fiscal Year 2023-2024 operating budget during a Special Called School Board meeting on Tuesday, January 24, 2023. The Superintendent’s funding request calls for approximately $416.5 million for the 2023-2024 school year. The budget request provides responsible solutions centered around the established Stafford County School Board priorities: Attracting and Retaining High Quality Staff, Improve Performance & Provide Adequate Staffing, and Safe and Welcoming Environment, Aligned to Needs, which ultimately benefits the critical stakeholders – Stafford students.
“We are committed to good fiscal stewardship of County resources. For the second year in a row, we have streamlined our base budget. Focusing steadfastly on taking care of our people and our facilities remains our top priority,” said Dr. Taylor. “This proposed budget addresses the increased cost of doing business, our need to offer more competitive compensation, and provide adequate staffing for our schools. This is about supporting our children, who represent 20% of the population, but 100% of our future.”
Despite the county’s population growing at a rapid pace, the percentage of the school system’s funding from Stafford County has consistently decreased over the last decade, falling from 45% in 2011 to 37.5% in 2023. The FY24 funding request calls for $161 million from Stafford County, an increase of $20 million, which represents a slight increase to 38.66 % of the total budget. While this appears significant, the increase aligns with the current cost of inflation.
The Superintendent’s recommended budget calls for:
Implementation of Phase 2 of a 4-phase investment in licensed staff with an average increase of 8.5%;
Implementation of Phase 1 of a 4-phase investment in the service salary scale with an average increase of 7.7%;
An increase to stipends and supplements that compensate staff for additional duties;
A net increase of 59 new full-time (converted from part time) employees to support the implementation of the staffing standards and the projection of 350 new students in the 2023-2024 school year, with particular focus on teachers to support English Language Learners and students with disabilities;
Implementation of staffing standards for allocating educators and support staff across the division; differentiated at the school level, based on student needs;Differentiated financial resources to schools based on need to properly provide for meaningful post-secondary outcomes for every student and ensure all are prepared for life after graduation.
“Almost half of our employees are categorized as ‘low income’, according to USDA’s Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program. This is a travesty that must be addressed,” said Dr. Taylor. “This proposed budget pledges $24.2 million of the revenue to support compensation and benefits for all staff. We are planning to implement Phase 2 of fixing the teacher scale in a responsible and sustainable way and introduce Phase 1 of a new service scale, reinforcing our belief that we are a school system of people and not things.”
The Stafford County School Board and Dr. Taylor will host four Budget Town Hall meetings to communicate the proposed budget and seek feedback from the community regarding its alignment with stakeholder priorities. A public hearing on the budget will be held on Tuesday, February 14, 2023 at 7 p.m. in the School Board Chambers. Community members are invited to present oral and/or written comments at this hearing.
Community Engagement Schedule
February 6 – Rock Hill District at Rodney E. Thompson MS, 7 PM
February 8 – Aquia & Griffis-Widewater Districts at Stafford ES, 7 PM
February 9 – Falmouth & George Washington Districts at Edward E. Drew MS, 7 PM
February 13 – Garrisonville & Hartwood Districts at Winding Creek ES, 7 PM
February 14 – Public Budget Hearing in the School Board Chambers, 7 PM
February 28 – Special Called Meeting (Budget Approval) in the School Board Chambers, 7 PM
