LANCASTER—By a unanimous 5-0 vote, the Lancaster school board on Monday, March 11, recommended a proposed $20,436,463 budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year, a 12.8% increase over the current year.
Much of the $2,323,758 increase will be funded locally. After holding steady for two years, local funds are projected to increase $2,258,944 (19%) to a total of $14,116,068.
In addition to providing a 7% raise for all staff, superintendent Jessica Davis said the funds would cover an 11% increase in health insurance premiums plus provide a number of new positions including a science, technology, engineering, arts and math teacher, three behavioral specialists, a part-time marketing person and part-time athletic trainer.
The draft budget will be forwarded to the board of supervisors for a public hearing at the March 28 regular meeting and adoption after an April 11 budget work session.
Composite index
Joan Gravatt commended Davis for taking the opportunity to speak to Gov. Glenn Youngkin regarding the composite index at the recent state championship basketball game. “We have been working on this for 9, 10 years. We have a local composite index of 8. What that means is that if the state has $100,000 to give, we get only $20,000. It says that the community can afford ….
