School Board to begin work on FY2008 Budget

At its regular meeting Tuesday night, the Falls Church City School Board heard a budget proposal that reflects a decrease in federal grant funding, a decrease in state sales tax revenue and a decrease in local property tax revenue due to a flat real estate market.  To compensate for that, Superintendent Lois Berlin said administrators made some tough choices.

“This budget was developed with the recognition that keeping to a 3.5% increase was a target,” Berlin said.  “I want to commend our building principals, their administrative teams and staffs, our directors and our assistant superintendents for their concerted efforts to stick to this amount and to see how existing resources could be reprogrammed to address current and critical needs.”

The $37.6 million budget supports the school board’s strategic plan priorities including teacher recruitment and retention, curriculum that meets the needs of all students, assessment data analysis, strategies for continuous improvement and responsive K-12 counseling and guidance.  Reprogrammed resources include an additional $59,300 to enable FCCPS students to receive technical instruction at the Arlington Career Center, an increase of $31,300 to support FCCPS summer school programs and $21,900 to support summer curriculum writing.

“This would include core and elective areas,” Berlin said. 

The school board will now begin its budget process, which includes a series of work sessions and public hearings.  Once the board votes on the final budget, it will go to the city council for approval.

The superintendent’s proposed budget can be viewed on the division Web site at www.fccps.org.  Dr. Berlin’s videotaped budget address can also be seen on Falls Church Community Television (FCC-TV) on the following dates and times:

• Every day at 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. through January 31.
• January 11 at 1:00 p.m.
• January 14 at 3:00 p.m.
• January 15 at 12:30 p.m.
• January 18 at 1:00 p.m.
• January 21 at 3:00 p.m.

FCC-TV airs on Cox Channel 12, Starpower/RCN Channel 2 and Verizon Channel 35.

School board budget work sessions and public hearings will be held on the following dates:

• *January 11 – School Board Work Session – Topic:  School board vision and budget process, 7:00 p.m., MEHMS
• January 20 – Budget Work Session, 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., MEHMS
• January 23 – Public Hearing on Budget, 7:30 p.m., City Hall
• February 3 – Budget Work Session, 8:00 a.m., MEHMS
• February 13 – Public Hearing on Budget, 7:30 p.m., City Hall
• February 20 – Pubic Hearing on Budget, 7:00 p.m., MEHMS
• February 27 – School Board Meeting – Budget Vote, 7:30 p.m., City Hall

*Members of the public may attend budget work sessions as observers. 

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