budget

Countywide

Virginia Board of Education backs new funding formula for school divisions

By Nathaniel Cline / Virginia Mercury
Students in a classroom (via Taylor Flowe on Unsplash)

The Virginia Board of Education is asking the General Assembly to develop a plan for changing the state’s existing school funding formula to help divisions strapped for money but isn’t backing a proposal to remove a cap that limits the number of support positions the state will fund.

According to an earlier report by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, which conducts analysis and provides oversight of state agencies on behalf of the General Assembly, changing the formula could help address the underfunding of schools.

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Countywide

Youngkin announces plan for millions in early childhood and child care spending

By Nathaniel Cline / Virginia Mercury
Gov. Glenn Youngkin announces a "Building Blocks for Virginia Families" plan to increase funding for early childhood education (Official Photo by Christian Martinez, Office of Governor Glenn Youngkin)

With the last pandemic-era expansions of federal child care aid to states set to end next year, Gov. Glenn Youngkin is proposing to put $448 million into the commonwealth’s early learning and child care system in each of the next two years.

“The reality is that in March 2024, without significant reforms to improve this long-term viability of our child care programs, we would otherwise see children simply being kicked out of these most important collaborations that enable families to realize their dreams and so we can’t leave families, parents and their children without options,” said Youngkin at a press conference for his “Building Blocks for Virginia Families” initiative Thursday.

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Countywide

FCPS looks to fund security cameras, Woodson HS renaming in midyear budget review

By Melanie Pincus
Fairfax County Public Schools (file photo)

(Updated at 11:25 a.m.) The Fairfax County School Board will vote next week on $847,000 in funding for security cameras at nine elementary schools.

That project is among those that could be funded as part of Fairfax County Public Schools’ midyear budget review, which Chief Financial Officer Leigh Burden presented to the board on Monday (Dec. 4).

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Countywide

Fairfax County anticipates pulling back on spending in next year’s budget

By Fatimah Waseem
The Fairfax County Government Center (file photo)

Anticipating slow growth in the real estate tax base and only a modest increase in general fund revenues, local officials are preparing for a slim budget in the next fiscal year.

At a joint meeting on Tuesday (Nov. 28), the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and the school board got an early forecast of projected revenues, expenditures and general priorities for the county government and public school system’s fiscal year 2025 budgets.

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Countywide

After a state study found Virginia is underfunding schools, local governments want action

By Nathaniel Cline / Virginia Mercury
Fairfax County school bus (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Before the new class of General Assembly members takes office in January, they are facing a push from local government leaders to quickly address Virginia’s historical underfunding of its school divisions.

In September, the General Assembly convened a group to examine how the state’s funding formulas could be updated to fix the problem, with recommendations due next November, ahead of the 2025 legislative session. However, many local governments say the timeline needs to be faster and are urging the legislature to take action immediately, at the start of the new budget cycle.

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News

Reston chamber of commerce and others urge businesses to help workers if federal government shuts down

By Fatimah Waseem
The U.S. Capitol Building in D.C. (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

The Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce is joining other local chambers and the Northern Virginia Regional Commission to offer help to federal government employees and contractors if the government shuts down.

Local businesses can sign up online to offer a discount in the event Congress fails to pass a budget by this Friday, Nov. 17.

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Countywide

School board approves raises for FCPS staff but says state funding still inadequate

By Angela Woolsey
Fairfax County Public Schools (file photo)

All Fairfax County Public Schools employees will get a bump in their paychecks, starting next year, after the school board unanimously approved 2% raises last week.

The additional pay was made possible by the budget that the Virginia General Assembly belatedly adopted in early September, which provided money to raise teacher salaries across the state. But school board members and FCPS workers argue that overall state funding for education falls far short of what they need.

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Countywide

Virginia to consider Metro’s funding request to address projected $750 million shortfall

By Nathaniel Cline / Virginia Mercury
A Metro train at the Vienna station (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

As Metro considers ways to address a looming $750 million shortfall and stave off changes to its operations, officials are requesting jurisdictions, including Virginia, review their options to help address the funding deficit that threatens thousands of jobs and various services.

Metro hopes policymakers in the commonwealth will consider adjusting the state law that sets a 3% cap on the growth of Virginia’s annual payment to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Dedicating more funding to Metro and overlooking the demands of other transportation projects, however, concerns some lawmakers and transportation leaders.

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News

Planning underway for new Colvin Run Mill trail, but funding path unclear

By Fatimah Waseem
A sign for Colvin Run Mill (file photo)

Residents are calling on the Fairfax County Park Authority to ensure that a trail is constructed on the south side of a new tunnel in Colvin Run Mill Park.

Construction on the $1.5 million tunnel under Route 7 as part of the widening of Leesburg Pike is currently underway. But the project, which is managed by state officials, lacks a 1,000-foot trail to the south side of the tunnel that would allow residents to walk to the park’s sites in Great Falls, Lake Fairfax and Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail.

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