Schools receive additional local funds to give 5-percent increase to all
By Randy Arrington
LURAY, July 17 — Although they did so reluctantly, the Page County Board of Supervisors this week unanimously approved additional funds for Page County Public Schools to ensure that all employees in the division will receive a 5-percent increase. In all, the supervisors approved four of five “blocks” of budget amendments during Monday night’s meeting that allocated, transferred or accepted local, state and federal funding totaling nearly $10 million.
The majority of the those funds were not local or new money. Some large amounts among the transactions include capital projects and funds being transferred from FY23 to the current fiscal year, including federal and state grants. The school system asked to transfer some funds within its own approved FY24 budget to different categories, as well as carryover capital improvements funds from state and federal sources. While the long list of allocations approved on Monday does dip into the county’s “reserve” funds, Page County Finance Director Tyler Olsen told the board that the county’s general fund balance would be fine.
“None of this would put us in trouble,” Olsen said, “even if you approved it all.”
The finance director stated that auditors have instructed the county to maintain at least $7 million to $8 million in its general fund balance to maintain a AAA bond rating. Even with approving the recommended appropriations on Monday, Olsen estimated that the county woulds still maintain about $15 million in the general fund.
A big kink in this year’s budget cycle for the county, and particularly the schools, is that the General Assembly has yet to reach an agreement to any amendments to the current state biennium budget, and the new fiscal year began July 1. Therefore, localities across the state are using the “skinny” budget presented by Gov. Youngkin to plan spending for FY24. If the Senate version of the amended state budget had passed, it would have meant more than $2 million additional for Page schools.
“We were using ‘level funding’ for local dollars and were waiting until late June to come back with additional information after the General Assembly had made a decision…the unfortunate part is that we don’t have any additional information,” Dr. Antonio Fox, superintendent of Page County Public Schools, told supervisors on Monday. “It’s not in the budget book because we’re still not sure.”
PCPS issued contracts to teachers for the upcoming year that do not include a state-mandated 5-percent increase. While the state has agreed to pay the increase for SOQ (Standards of Quality) positions, that only covers about two-thirds of the school division’s more than 600 employees. Page supervisors voted unanimously on Monday to provide the additional $623,353 to ensure that all non-SOQ positions within the school system also received a 5-percent increase as well. The board also approved $77,635 for an early childhood special education teacher, and $31,986 for the teacher’s aide.
Some supervisors argued that the state only required a 10-percent increase in teacher salaries (5 percent each of the two years in the biennium state budget), and that a total of 7 percent was given last year in salary increases (the state’s 5 percent, plus an additional 2 percent). Therefore, they only needed an additional 3 percent, which was recommended by the county’s finance director. However, doing so would mean turning down some of the state funding.
“It’s not a good look to return state money,” Dr. Fox told supervisors. “With the things we are doing…please don’t return any money…and if you go below the level they are funding, we will be returning money.”
The supervisors ultimately approved the local funds needed to ensure a 5-percent raise across the board for school employees, under the strict caveat that if the school division receives extra funds from the state — once any biennium budget amendments are settled in Richmond — that they will report that to the board of supervisors. The supervisors must appropriate any state funds that the school division would receive before the money can be actually spent.
The school system is estimating that they will have between $300,00 and $400,000 left in unspent funds from FY23, but those figures won’t be final until all bills come in and an audit is done in late fall. Dr. Fox has asked that those funds be set aside for additional bonuses for faculty and staff. The schools total appropriation of $732,974 will come from the county’s General Fund Balance.
In order to update its budget for FY24 (after previously using FY23 numbers in the uncertainty of the state budget), the school system asked the board of supervisors if they could categorically make the following transfers within its own approved FY24 budget:
- $220,000 from Instruction to Transportation;
- $475,000 from Instruction to Operations and Maintenance;
- $40,000 from Instruction to Technology.
In addition, the School Board also requested a carryover of $1,805,817 of state funds and $693,076 in federal funds to the School Capital Projects Fund for various capital improvements, including HVAC upgrades. Staff recommended to withhold approval until the school system “prepared a budget book,” which includes a detailed list of expenditures for FY24. However, supervisors voted 4-1 — with District 4 representative Larry Foltz, a longtime school board member, dissenting — to approve both the $735,000 in transfers and the $2.5 million in carryover of state and federal funds for capital projects.
Other budget amendments unanimously approved by the board of supervisors on Monday:
• $1,000 from Keep Virginia Beautiful’s Green Grant received by the Battle Creek landfill for little prevention;
• $37,878 requested by the Luray-Page County Chamber of Commerce in additional TOT (Transient Occupancy Tax) revenue for a portion of their employees’ wages, postage, rent, utilities, supplies, janitorial services, dues, education, and insurance; recommended unanimously for approval by the Tourism Council;
• $46,370 in local matching funds (from TOT funds) for two state grants totaling $40,000 from the Virginia Tourism Corporation received by the Economic Development and Tourism Department for marketing initiatives; total local appropriation $85,248;
• $300,000 of FY23 appropriated funds not yet spent by the Economic Development and Tourism Department for the development of a meat processing facility requested to carryover into FY24;
• $483,678 remaining in two American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) programs requested for appropriation to the VATI broadband project; remaining amount of ARPA funds was unknown during budget process and therefore not appropriated;
• $3,416,323 from the General Fund Balance to fund the remaining portion of the broadband project;
• $17,146 of the Capital Projects Fund Balance for Lumen’s support coverage related to the NG911 program;
• $1,300,441 of the County Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) Fund balance for expenses related to the new emergency radio system; funds represent remaining unspent debt proceeds;
• $976,909 of the Landfill Construction Fund balance for expenses related to the landfill’s Cell 11 construction; funds are remaining unspent debt proceeds and interest earned; interest earned on this debt has exceeded $130,000.
Supervisors tabled an ongoing capital request from the Page County Sheriff’s Office of $115,000 from the General Fund Balance for a body scanner at the jail. An earlier discussion on the request was tabled until more information came in on the state budget, and thus more information about needs for school funding. The sheriff’s office also requested $58,742 from the General Fund Balance for HVAC upgrades in the second floor of the patrol building ($6,000) and cameras for the jail ($52,742).
The board voted to table the request after noting that a deeper conversation on capital improvements would take place at a later date, and the fact that the county finance office still has not received information requested from the sheriff’s office.
To watch live meetings of the Page County Board of Supervisors, visit https://www.pagecounty.virginia.gov/392/Watch-Meetings-Videos
•••
RELATED ARTICLES
State leaves uncertainty late in budget season; county advertising several tax increases
Candidates set for 2023 election with six contested races on Page County ballot
State-funded improvements at Route 211 and Big Oak intersection slated for 2024
County recognizes EMS staff and volunteers for two life-saving incidents in February
County’s Economic Development & Tourism office receives VTC grants to market Page Valley
Supervisors raise tax on vehicles 14.3% but claim declining values will ‘equalize’ impact
Recreational plans slow down as ARPA funds dwindle and budget cycles tighten for FY24
Be the first to comment