School Board work session covers WCPS proposed 2022-2023 budget

Warren County Public Schools (WCPS) would like to spend money during the next school year on hiring more than 20 new staffers, providing across-the-board salary increases, and paying for grounds maintenance at all of its facilities, according to its proposed 2022-2023 budget.

“This proposed budget represents the true needs of the school division in Warren County,” said WCPS Superintendent Christopher Ballenger, who offered the proposed budget for review and discussion during the School Board’s Wednesday, February 16 work session.

Ballenger said the proposed budget “addresses many current and future needs within the school division,” — particularly for its more than 4,900 students — as the school division continues to work through and manage the impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The projected revenue budget from WCPS funding sources is approximately $28.27 million (40 percent) coming from Warren County; $36.14 million (51 percent) from the State of Virginia; $5.95 million (8 percent) from the United States government; and $551,753 from miscellaneous funds, Ballenger told board members present during the work session, who included School Board Chair Kristen Pence, Vice-Chair Ralph Rinaldi, and members Antoinette Funk, Andrea Lo, and Melanie Salins.

Ballenger told the board members that these numbers are just projections for the time being as WCPS awaits final appropriations from local, state, and federal sources.

In total, the WCPS projected revenue budget for the fiscal year 2023 would be $70,930,366, and almost 11 percent increase over the current budget of $63,944,829, according to a draft proposal.

The proposed budget includes WCPS’ priorities for spending, such as:

• 5-percent raises for all employees, inclusive of the step for years of experience.
• 23.5 new positions, including a full-time English language arts teacher (1) and instructional assistant (1), elementary school counselors (2), elementary school art teachers (2), board-certified behavior analysts (2) to serve all schools, library assistants (2) for the high schools, math coaches (2), and technology integration coaches (2), among others.
• A $50,000 increase in the maintenance budget to paint and replace the carpet at Hilda J. Barbour Elementary School.
• An expected cost of $425,000 for groundskeeping, which would include contracting services and will cover four mowers, and four staff members to handle the groundskeeping at high school sports fields.
• New positions, including a director of communications and a transportation secretary.
• Increased contract hours for numerous positions, including bus drivers, a speech teacher, and a social worker.
• The acquisition of a new website for WCPS, instructional supplies, technology, and a comprehensive instructional program.

Ballenger said the increased maintenance spending is due to WCPS taking back groundskeeping from the Warren County Department of Parks and Recreation, which currently handles the duties. He said the division already put out bids for the services but plans to rebid the job because the numbers were higher than expected.

In summary, WCPS would spend a total of $55,324,974 on classroom instruction and instructional supports; $21,862,644 on facilities; $7,458,516 on operations and maintenance; $3,020,471 on transportation; $2,994,590 on administration, attendance, and health; and $1,498,320 on technology, according to the draft of the proposed budget.

Other highlights of the proposed budget include a wish list of high-priority capital improvements, such as a renovation and HVAC replacement at Leslie Fox Keyser (LFK) Elementary School that would be funded in part by federal pandemic-relief grants. Board members also on Wednesday received an overview of the LFK schematic design from architects (covered in a separate Royal Examiner story).

Ballenger said WCPS also has funds in a capital improvement fund that will be used toward replacing the roof at the Blue Ridge Technical Center.

“The school division has identified $8,100,025 in federal funds to help support the project at Leslie Fox Keyser and $1,000,000 in the capital improvement fund for the roof at Blue Ridge Technical Center,” according to the draft budget proposal.

The Warren County Board of Supervisors — which is working on its own budget and provides WCPS with a large chunk of its revenue — will discuss the school division’s proposed budget next week. School Board members will vote on it during their March 2 regular meeting. A proposed final budget will be offered in late spring.

“This proposed budget will be approved in March by the School Board,” Ballenger said. “We’re still a long way from finishing it.”

Click here to review the proposed WCPS 2022-2023 school year budget.

Watch the Warren County School Board Work Session in this exclusive Royal Examiner video.