LANCASTER—Budget season is now officially underway as the Lancaster board of supervisors and school board held a joint budget work session on Thursday, January 25. It was an opportunity for the school board to share priorities with supervisors as they begin drafting a budget for fiscal year 2024-25.
The 2023-24 approved school budget is $18,112,705 with $11,857,124 coming from local funds.
The school board will hold another budget work session today, February 1, at 6 p.m. at the Early Childhood Education Center, 235 School Street, Kilmarnock.
While no specific proposed budget numbers were presented, superintendent Jessica Davis shared “essential and high needs for our schools.” Pay increases are proposed for all teachers and staff. “We want to stay competitive with not only surrounding counties but with the state as well.”
Option 1 would include a 5.5% increase plus 1.5% step for teachers and 7% for all other staff. The starting teacher salary would be $50,832, which according to Davis, “would put us at the top of our surrounding counties” and comparable to Stafford County. Option 2 would be a 3.5% increase plus 1.5% step for teachers and 5% for all other staff. The starting teacher salary would be $49,822. Option 3 is a 1.5% increase plus 1.5% step for teachers and 3% for all other staff. The starting teacher salary would be $48,932.
Other priorities include….
