Superintendent of Schools Dr. Steve Walts, and John Wallingford, associate superintendent for finance and risk management, presented budget adjustments to the School Board's Adopted Fiscal Year 2021 budget during an emergency School Board meeting held on May 6. Due to the COVID-19 virus impacts, Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) must address a nearly $46 million shortfall from the budget the School Board adopted in March.
Dr. Walts explained that the proposed adjustments have sought to prioritize support for current employees and students, and adjustments were developed after much deliberative thought, and not without difficult trade-offs.
"This is not a situation any of us would hope to have to face, but I believe we can do our best to minimize the impacts to the fullest extent possible," he said. "I remain hopeful that should economic conditions improve, we will be able to restore the critical needs that may be deferred from this budget."
The School Board will discuss the proposed adjustments at a School Board Work Session that will be scheduled within the next week, and the School Board will make the final determination, based on a vote at a meeting on May 20.
The proposed budget adjustments maintain a 2.8 percent step increase in salaries for staff members, but eliminates the 2 percent cost of living adjustment. The proposed adjustments maintain 163.5 new school-based positions, but would defer 16 central support positions.
The proposed budget adjustments would also defer several cash-based facility projects, 11 new social workers, phase one of the pay equity compensation plan, tuition reimbursement increase, purchase of additional school buses, and middle school schedule restructuring.
More information on the proposed budget adjustments can be found here.