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Proposed FY 2022 Schools Budget 

The Superintendent submitted the FY 2022 Proposed Budget and CIP to the School Board at the February 3, 2021 meeting.

View the presentation (PDF)

The School Board has scheduled the following work sessions to be held at the Kelly Leadership Center:

  • 6 p.m., Wednesday, January 13, 2021
  • Wednesday, February 24, 2021, following 7 p.m. Public Hearing - View presentation (PDF)
  • 6 p.m., Wednesday, March 10, 2021

Superintendent's Remarks From February 3 Meeting

  1. Good evening… Chairman Lateef, Vice Chairwoman Zargarpur, Members of the Board, and our Prince William County Public Schools community.
  2. This evening I am presenting my budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year.
  3. This will be my final budget proposal before my announced retirement at the end of the current school year. I want to thank our teachers, administrators, support staff, parents, community, and School Board for their support and the great successes we have achieved this year, and for the past 16 years that I have proudly served as your Superintendent.
  4. This past pandemic year has been unlike any other in my career – and unlike any other in modern history.
  5. Last year, I presented a plan for our School Division that focused on positioning us for student growth and focused on equity and academic achievement.
  6. Then, much like a boxer in the ring, together we took some hits that briefly tried to knock us off our stride.
  7. However, through the incredible hard work of all our employees, and through collaboration with our students and families, together we found our footing and got right back into the ring.
  8. Since the closure on March 13 for COVID-19, our School Division has made some remarkable achievements:
  9. We have provided 13 million meal equivalents.
  10. We procured and provided more than 90,000 laptops for students and staff, along with free student internet access for those who need it.
  11. We implemented a new learning management system
  12. We deployed tens of thousands of pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE).
  13. We have served thousands of our most vulnerable learners in-person since September. And PWCS was the only Northern Virginia school division to do so.
  14. We developed and implemented a hybrid and virtual-only option for our students.
  15. Our teachers pivoted to remote and hybrid learning in mere weeks.
  16. We have had continuous payroll throughout the pandemic and had no reduction in force.
  17. We have offered thousands of employees the COVID-19 vaccine and we are implementing our plan for all employees to be able to receive one.
  18. We have continued to focus on the academic achievement and mental health of students.
  19. And we did all this during one of the most tumultuous and testing years in the history of our country.
  20. I could not be prouder to be the Superintendent of this remarkable School Division.
  21. Tonight, we look ahead to the future that builds on the past 16 years of achievements we have accomplished together, including:
  22. First and foremost, we have achieved an on-time graduation rate that continues to rise, to a high now of 93 percent. That’s 10 percent over where we were a decade ago.
  23. Second, the implementation of full-day kindergarten Divisionwide and PreK expansions. These are critical to get our students on an early path toward success.
  24. Third, high achievement in academic success including 100 percent of schools receiving full state accreditation, and high growth in our career and technical education certifications.
  25. And fourth, opening 24 new schools – with two more planned for later this year – and 36 school additions, along with the Kelly Leaders Center and two transportation facilities, on time and within budget.
  26. With this foundation of achievement, it is my goal with this budget proposal to set-up my successor for success and provide the resources necessary to ensure our students have equitable opportunity and support for academic success, and provide our employees the compensation they deserve for a job well-done and will continue to do.
  27. This budget for Fiscal Year 2022 faces a unique challenge for the first time in my tenure – and that is one of reducing enrollment, which is being experienced by school divisions in Virginia and across the United States.
  28. Our reduction, caused by the pandemic, is estimated to be a decrease of approximately 1,057 students.
  29. This decrease in enrollment reduces our allocations to schools and departments by more than $13 million.
  30. The pandemic continues to create great uncertainty and we do not yet know how enrollment may change in the next couple of years.
  31. It is important to note this budget proposal does not include the new CARES funding or the efforts related to using that funding.
  32. As I previously informed the School Board, we are using the latest CARES funding in five major areas: first, to hire additional temporary teaching assistants to help our in-person elementary classes; second, to fund the deferred capital projects that the School Board approved last year to assist us in funding needs with our early response to COVID-19; third, we will develop additional summer learning for students who may need additional academic support; fourth, we are exploring additional in-person and virtual tutoring options, perhaps on Mondays, after school, and on Saturdays, for those students who need additional support; and fifth, we will make an assessment and determination for any additional PPE investments necessary for this school year, as well as purchasing for next school year.
  33. Now turning to my priorities within the Fiscal Year 2022 proposal.
  34. My first budget priority is pandemic-related student and employee support.
  35. Beyond the items I mentioned we are funding from CARES, we have made a number of investments that will need to continue to be supported. This includes additional staff to support our communication efforts, benefits, technology, and student services in our focused coordination of our pandemic response.
  36. Nothing is possible without our outstanding employees – therefore, my second priority in this budget is support for our teachers and staff – who are at the heart of our success. I am very pleased tonight to propose a step increase for all eligible employees, in addition to a cost of living increase. This will total an average of nearly 3.8 percent increase in pay for employees.
  37. Additionally, while health care costs have increased nationally, I am proud to announce that my budget proposal once again, includes no increase in employee health care costs for the third year in-a-row.
  38. As an education organization, we continue to encourage our employees to grow and learn, and I am proposing an additional $100,000 investment in tuition reimbursement for employees.
  39. My third budget priority is educational equity and academic achievement.
  40. Many of the items included in this area come straight from recommendations of the Superintendent’s Advisory Council on Equity.
  41. This includes $4 million in funding for the Regional Special Education Program to cover loss in funding from state; as well as $2 million to supplement our summer school programing to support students that may need additional support this year – this would be distributed according to our economic disadvantaged formula; and $1 million for K-12 Divisionwide English Language Arts textbook adoption.
  42. I am also proposing $836,000 for Title IX funding adjustments to support equity in student activities programming; additionally, this budget proposes positions to support equity; five additional special education staffing support administrative interns; and additional technology staff to support our schools with their digital equity, now that we have a device for every student in the School Division.
  43. Within this category, I am also excited to propose $1 million to begin the process of creating a full-time virtual high school. As we have learned from the pandemic, virtual learning can be beneficial for some students, along with the flexibility that it can offer. This investment will help us build upon lessons learned and bring further choices to our students.
  44. My fourth budget priority is Prekindergarten access, that directly relates to equity and achievement. As we know, early childhood learning is critical to future success. Tonight, I propose a nearly $1 million additional investment in our PreK programs, by adding five more PreK classrooms.
  45. My fifth priority is student mental health and wellness. This budget continues, and expands our wrap-around support in a number of ways.
  46. As we have learned during the pandemic, supporting the mental health and wellness of students and staff is crucial.
  47. To support this work, I am proposing adding 15 additional counselors at the elementary level; as well as six additional psychologists; and two additional nurses.
  48. My sixth priority is around sustainable facilities, school safety, and support for infrastructure.
  49. In this area we will continue to make critical investments in our physical buildings, information technology, transportation, and other support services.
  50. This includes the projects as outlined in our Capital Improvement Program, highlights include fenestration projects – also known as window and/or door improvements - at Fred Lynn and Graham Park MS, embarking on a plan to address school auditorium lighting/sound equipment; more than $23 million investment in roof replacements at Freedom, Battlefield, Forest Park, and Osborn Park High Schools, Rippon Middle School, and Neabsco Elementary School; $21 million in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning improvements to include Brentsville and Woodbridge High Schools, Graham Park and Unity Braxton Middle Schools, and Coles Elementary School.
  51. As well as a $4 million investment in modernizing our legacy financial and payroll system. This is a backbone enterprise system that must be upgraded, as it is ending its lifespan.
  52. Additionally, this includes $2 million in core, ongoing IT systems such as our learning management system, Canvas, as well our student information system, The Hub.
  53. These are just a few of the highlights of the major proposals in my budget.
  54. In just a moment I will turn it over to Mr. John Wallingford, our Associate Superintendent for Finance and Risk Management, who will provide a few more highlights and additional detail on the numbers.
  55. Before I do, I want to congratulate John and his entire team for their incredible hard work, especially this year with the complexities of the pandemic and the various accounting requirements tied to the CARES funding.
  56. As a testimony to the professionalism of the Office of Financial Services, PWCS is receiving the 2020-2021 Meritorious Budget Award from the Association of School Business Officials International also known as ASBO. PWCS has been participating in the Meritorious Budget Award program for 25 years. And in the words of ASBO, it is “a true reflection of the district’s commitment to fiscal integrity.”
  57. Congratulations again John and your entire team.
  58. I am so proud of what we have accomplished together. I am certain with this budget, and the support of our entire community, the future for PWCS is bright.
  59. Together we will continue to ensure that every one of our students in Prince William County receives a World-Class Education.
  60. Thank you… I now turn it over to Mr. Wallingford…

Developments 

CIP/Budget Planning Timeline

Resources

Answers to FY 2021 School Board Budget Inquiries (by group and date of inquiry)