Stafford County Public Schools press release: The Stafford County School Board adopted a $457.9M FY25 provisional operating budget during its regular meeting on Tuesday, April 9.
The provisional budget remains focused on correcting both the service and licensed staff salary scales through the Implementation of Phase I of the service scale correction, Phase III of the licensed scale correction, and correction of the instructional support scale.
“We remain a system of people, not things,” said Mrs. Maureen Siegmund, chair, Stafford County School Board. “This provisional budget allows us to provide our service staff with an average 8.7% salary increase, licensed staff with a 5.2% average salary increase, and provide our paraprofessional with an average salary increase of 9%.”
The Stafford County Board of Supervisors provided $13M in new revenue to the schools; $2M short of the amount requested by the School Board. The resulting $457.9M provisional operating budget addresses $8.6M in adjustments to the base budget and $16.6M in non-discretionary expenses – those that allow the district to keep its doors open.
The Board of Supervisors also approved funding for Elementary School 19, a rebuild of Edward E. Drew MS, and allocated $14.5 for overdue repairs and maintenance of school buildings. The Board of Supervisors also reaffirmed its funding for constructing Elementary School 18, and High School 6, partly addressing rapid growth.
A majority of school funding, more than 60%, is provided through State funding. The School Board will revisit and adopt a final budget after the state government adopts its final budget later this summer. If additional funding is provided from the State, the School Board may have the opportunity to make additional increases in staffing and staff compensation.
For more information regarding the School Board’s Adopted FY25 provisional budget visit staffordschools.net/FY25Budget.
