School Budget Advances
The Prince William County School Board realized some savings in transportation costs and other areas in order to avoid cutting any programs such as full day kindergarten. The spending plan includes a step raise for school employees and reduced class sizes in 9th grade Math. The school system budget proposal is based on the county’s advertised tax rate and may require adjustments if the Board of County Supervisors decides on a lower rate.
The county school budget will be presented to the county board on April 7th and the entire county budget that includes the school division’s funding will be voted on at the Board of Supervisors’ April 21st meeting. If budget reconciliation becomes necessary the school board will address that in May.
State Legislative Report
The newly passed state budget includes money for raises but it does not restore money to offset the cost of competing in the Washington area labor market. The Medicaid expansion, which would have included a federal subsidy and freed up money for schools, was not in the budget either. AFT lobbyists were able to win studies of the cost teacher turnover and the benefits of a statewide insurance option that would allow school divisions to have more leverage in rate negotiations. Abolishing the A-F grading of schools and restoring the option of a three person panel in dismissal cases did not pass.
Both houses of the Virginia General Assembly will be up for election this November. PWFT participates in the Northern Virginia Labor Federation’s candidate screening process and we can tell you who your friends are.
Member of the Month
This month we are honoring our immediate past president, Joyce Phillips. It was Joyce’s suggestion that PWFT could advocate reorganizing the responsibilities of the county schools and parks and recreation department so that the schools are totally focused on education and the parks and recreation department would manage all sports facilities, including those located at schools.
She pointed out that Charles County, Maryland, has done this and after we presented this idea to the Board of County Supervisors and prior to sharing it with the School Board we discovered that the City of Alexandria has successfully made this transition. Although neither board seemed very interested in taking such a step this year, several political leaders have demonstrated interest in discussing such a possibility in this fall’s county elections.