Although York County did not fully fund its request for next year, the York County School Division will still be able to cover its budget priorities.
The York County School Board adopted a $129.3 million budget for fiscal year 2016, which begins July 1, at a special meeting Monday night.
The fiscal year 2016 total is nearly $5 million more than the division’s budget for the previous year, but includes a smaller-than-requested contribution from the county.
The School Board had originally approved a $129.9 million budget proposal for next year, including a request for about $1 million more than the county’s previous contribution of $51.9 million.
Last week, the Board of Supervisors adopted a $133.4 million budget for fiscal year 2016, providing $51.3 million for the schools — a $361,000 increase over last year’s contribution.
York County is the second-largest funding source for YCSD, with a projected total contribution of more than $52 million, including funding for operations, grounds and maintenance, for fiscal year 2016. The state of Virginia is the largest funding source, providing about $61.1 million for the schools.
York County Administrator Mark Carter said the additional county funds would be used to support Superintendent Victor Shandor’s budget priority of increasing employee compensation.
Shandor originally called for more than $2.4 million for salary increases for division employees, including a step increase for all eligible employees, and an additional step increase for employees whose salaries have been frozen at the same step since 2010.
The county budget left a $671,848 shortfall in the school division’s budget, forcing administrators to find alternative means of funding Shandor’s two other budget priorities: transportation and technology upgrades.
YCSD Chief Financial Officer Dennis Jarrett said the funding for transportation and technology would come from end-of-year rollover funds. Because school divisions in Virginia are not allowed to carry over funding balances at the end of the school year, any remaining money in the division’s budget reverts to the county.
Jarrett said YCSD typically had $300,000 to $500,000 roll over at the end of the school year.
For at least the last 15 years, Jarrett said the Board of Supervisors had re-appropriated any end-of-year dollars to the schools to use the next year for technology upgrades. Jarrett said the supervisors had agreed to do so again this year, and would allow roll over funds to be used for transportation, as well as technology.
Jarrett said the school division would search for efficiencies in the current budget and would reduce the number of outstanding purchase orders to make up the $671,000 shortfall.
Administrators were confident the division would meet that mark, allowing the division to purchase seven new school buses and complete an $800,000 technology refresh.
School Board Chairman Mark Medford said the board was satisfied with the budget process.
“We have a plan, [the supervisors] have a plan, they know what our plan is, and we just move forward from here,” Medford said.
Medford said this year’s budget discussions were an improvement over previous discussions. Last year, disagreements between the supervisors and the school board left a $2 million shortfall and delayed the passage of a school budget until July.
“It hasn’t gone more quickly, but it’s been smoother,” Medford said. “One thing we wanted to do was make sure they understand where we are, so we were very articulate in identifying our major priorities.”
Medford also said the two boards had come together on common goals, including staff compensation.
“It was easier to move forward knowing that was a common goal,” he said. “We get more done working together than working against each other.”
Related Coverage:
- York Supervisors Approve 2016 Budget, Give County Employees 2.5 Percent Raise
- YCSD Superintendent Unveils $130 Million Budget for 2016
- YCSD Superintendent’s Budget Asks for Increase in County Funding
- York Supervisors to School Board: ‘Soft’ Numbers Won’t Finish Budget Talks
- York School Board Plans 3 Percent Raise for All Employees, Cuts $2.1 Million from Budget
- York School Board Stresses Importance of Compensation Increase Despite Diminished Revenue
- York Supervisors Approve Budget; Taxes Remain Level to Leave YCSD Short About $2 Million
- York Supes: No Tax Rate Increase; One-Time Cash Infusion Could Help YCSD Budget Woes
- YCSD Superintendent: Supervisors Have ‘Grossly Oversimplified’ School Budget Issues
- York School Board’s Robert George Calls Out Supervisor Thomas Shepperd Over Budget Remarks
- YCSD Employees, Parents Rally for Higher Taxes at York County Budget Hearing
- York Supervisors: No Tax Rate Increase; Schools Need to Prioritize
- Parents, Teachers Talk YCSD Budget Issues at Community Meeting
- York Supervisors Face Impending Deadline on Whether to Consider Tax Rate Increase
- York School Board to Supervisors: Fund Our ‘Needs-Based’ Budget
- Proposed York Budget Keeps Taxes Level, Offers 3 Percent Raise for Employees
- York School Board Continues Work on Budget Despite Uncertainty About Local, State Funding Contributions
- York Superintendent’s Proposed Budget Asks County for 5.8 Percent Funding Increase
