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This article was written by WTOP’s news partner InsideNoVa.com and republished with permission. Sign up for InsideNoVa.com’s free email subscription today.
Superintendent LaTanya McDade is proposing a $1.4 billion operating budget for Prince William County Public Schools that would give teachers and staff a 4.2% cost-of-living adjustment as well as a step increase.
According to McDade, who presented the budget to the School Board on Wednesday night, the pay bumps will result in an average salary increase of 7% for most employees.
The overall budget, a 14% increase from the current fiscal year, is largely made possible through an increase of $121.5 million in funding from the state government, which would contribute $731.6 million in total.
McDade says the division will use the new funding to target priorities laid out in her four-year strategic plan, including the hiring of 100 full-time special education assistants, 88 new kindergarten teacher assistants, nine new behavioral specialists, five new school social workers and more.
Much of McDade’s prior plan to address learning lost during school closures in 2020 and 2021 is funded through federal COVID-19 pandemic relief money, which is not included in the budget.
“First and foremost, this is a budget that is teacher and student-centric, with the bulk of our new investments going to support the classroom and our schools, where they are most needed,” McDade said in her presentation to the School Board.
The 7% pay increase will cost about $60 million, she added. “This critical investment recognizes the need to offer competitive pay and benefits as outlined in our strategic plan.”
Teachers — some of whom are organizing for collective bargaining in the county — have repeatedly asked for the division to increase hiring and retention to lessen the burden they say has dramatically increased because of pandemic-related staffing shortages.
Maggie Hansford, president of the Prince William Education Association, which is leading the organizing effort, said during public comment time at Wednesday’s meeting that the budget should prioritize staffing. She said she knew many teachers who are leaving the profession due to inadequate pay increases in previous budgets.
“Our schools are amazing because of our staff that we employ,” Hansford said. “During a national teacher shortage it is important that our budget reflects our priorities for retaining and recruiting the best educators, where students remain our top priority. And that means we must provide our students with the best staff to educate, transport and feed.”
The state government’s funding — due to a boost in state revenues in 2021 — isn’t the only pot of money for schools that is growing in the coming fiscal year. According to McDade’s budget proposal, Prince William County’s contribution to schools will grow by more than $50 million, or 7.7%, to about $660 million.
The school division projects enrollment next year to be 89,837, ahead of last year’s number but still below the pre-pandemic high of 91,500 in the 2019-2020 school year.
McDade’s budget, which is for the fiscal year beginning July 1, could be adjusted by the School Board before it submits the approved budget to the Board of County Supervisors on March 16. A public meeting on the budget will be held Feb. 7, followed by a formal public hearing Feb. 16 and several work sessions.
“This budget is exceptionally strong. We have an opportunity to advance the necessary work of supporting our students by investing in our classrooms, our schools and our staff,” McDade said Wednesday. “This is a budget that both the school board and the community can be proud of.”
