WASHINGTON — The Loudoun County School Board is looking for ways to close its biggest funding gap in years – and parents, students and the community are weighing in.
On the list of potential cuts are closing the county’s four smallest elementary schools, eliminating summer school, scaling back bus service, cuts to sports programs, Leesburg Today reports.
Also on the block are about 200 jobs. This week, 5,800 employees in the school district will receive a notice that will warn them that there may be layoffs.
“Between attrition and growth, we’re not anticipating the loss of a lot of jobs, but legally we have to let people know that’s a possibility,” Loudoun schools spokesperson Wayde Byard told ABC7.
In addition to more students and new elementary schools slated to open, increased costs in the budget can be attributed to $29.9 million in pay raises to more than 6,000 employees of the school system.
The Loudoun County school system has a budget of $949.7 million for fiscal year 2015 – that includes a $47 million increase in local funds to $600.8 million, but that’s still $38 million less than the school board says it needs, according to Leesburg Today.
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