Last night, Dr. Raley, Division Superintendent, presented the Goochland County School Board with my recommendations for the 2022-2023 Budget. His proposal prioritizes the people, the programs, and the initiatives that will help our school division Pave a Path Forward.
The video of his full presentation is available on our website, and, while citizens are encouraged to view the presentation, below is a brief summary of the highlights of his proposal.
Goal 1: Instruction and Lifelong Learning
The priorities that he included in his proposal include:
Increase in tuition for students attending Maggie Walker Governor’s School
Additional funding to programs that help reduce the summer slide
Kindergarten Countdown Camp
Power Scholars Academy
Pilot Intercessions
Goal 2: Inclusive and Engaging Culture
Our people are directly responsible for our success and a significant portion of our budget is dedicated to improving compensation and benefits for all staff. Dr. Raley proposed a 5 percent minimum raise for ALL employees. This would equate to a 3 percent merit increase for successful performance and a 2 percent market adjustment.
In addition, he proposed a revision to the teacher salary scale that would result in a 6.14% raise for teachers year over year. Significant increases are recommended for our employees on scales UA through UD that equate to a raise of over 10% for teammates on these scales. Additional detail can be found on slides 64 and 73 of his presentation.
In order to provide the greatest benefit to our employees, Dr. Raley also proposed maintaining as closely as possible the current employee contribution for health insurance. While we have not received final rates from our provider, it is his intent to work to ensure that employees receive the full benefit of their salary increase, rather than being offset by health insurance costs.
Goal 3: Facilities, Resources, and Technology
Priorities include:
New and expanded operational software and contracts
Projects to continue our focus on providing healthy school environments, funded through COVID-19 Risk Mitigation grants
The proposed budget for FY23 also includes Strategic Abandonment savings of $70,800 in local and state funds and $15,000 in federal funds. A list of those savings is included in my presentation to the School Board on slide 82.
The additional investment in public education in Dr. Raley's proposal is $2,626,634, or a 7 percent increase over last year (a 6.2 percent increase without federal COVID funds). Overall, nearly 80 percent of budgeted expenditures will be focused on classroom instruction and technology, 7.8 percent on operations and maintenance, 6.8 percent on technology, 6.5 percent on transportation, and 6.3 percent on attendance and health. The proposed budget also includes an increase in funding from the Goochland County Board of Supervisors of $1 million, for a total of $25,500,000 in local funding.
Public meetings are scheduled through May as the School Board and the County Board of Supervisors work to build their budgets for next year. Citizens are encouraged to attend these meetings or to watch them as they stream live. Meeting video will also be archived on the division website.
January 31 - School Board Work Session - Goochland County Administration Building, Room 250 –5:30 p.m.
February 8 - Public Hearing on the Budget - Goochland Administration Building, Room 250 - 5:30 p.m.
February 21 - School Board Approves 2022-2023 Budget and salary scales - Goochland County Administration Building, Room 250 – 5:30 p.m.
February 22 - County Administrator Presentation of Proposed County Budget - Goochland Administration Building, Room 250 - 2 p.m.
March 1 - Presentation of School Board’s Approved Budget to Goochland County Board of Supervisors - Goochland Administration Building, Room 250 - 2 p.m.
Town Halls
March 10, 6:30 p.m. - Districts 4/5 at Tuckahoe Pines Retirement Community, 12330 Patterson Avenue
March 22, 6:30 p.m. - Districts 2/3 at Central High School, 2748 Dogtown Road
March 31, 6:30 p.m. - District 1 at Byrd Elementary School, 2704 Hadensville Fife Road
March 15 - County Board of Supervisors CIP Work Session - Goochland Administration Building, Room 250 - 2 p.m.
April 5 - Board of Supervisors Public Hearing on County (and School) Budget - Goochland Administration Building, Room 250 - 6 p.m.
April 19 - Board of Supervisors Approve County and School Division Budget - Goochland Administration Building, Room 250 - 2 p.m.