[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6305700,"mediaKeyId","2443908-3c4acc8806634cfcebb6dc2e67f94353","parentId",2443908,"title","School leaders present FY26 budget draft, propose targeted hires and weigh 3–5% pay increases","audioSeconds",3495,"startMs",1843000,"endMs",5338000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2443908-3c4acc8806634cfcebb6dc2e67f94353&start=1843&end=5338","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2443908-3c4acc8806634cfcebb6dc2e67f94353/thumbnail_1843000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6305700/Virginia/School-leaders-present-FY26-budget-draft-propose-targeted-hires-and-weigh-35-pay-increases","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6305700-84148225d10938955a0047a7f970eaf7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771151181&Signature=U1PDacRQ3YTLLMsbnQoVZX~g22zItZ4Yl441SxZiuxjdyROdoPHfOEdNanWEm8f5IRUYcB2ELbKZmFKI0BPU9c09ZxVxXOlP4H6uGQDDiW1cI8mwLP55mMjWKggajY--xiUz9IEf12BZVx4nq6jI40DiBBxnxs79fgME2r0fR2WFXW7NCgexs5vavaD-TkoKuUa9lGhzQ9-g2IlbJuOCeLlme7Z85iAuTSMQwfauOOfm40oV3z~AhzX8yu5~wVWEVGcml3~0U~Kp1M~mGIxOQlobLxFe4r4mtr4IUhgICn1ffXy9YI7uClO3hNQ7Qk56LBI~96J9pX8nAa0LfYJ7Bg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Clarke County Public Schools VA","date","2025-01-27T00:00:00Z","article","Superintendent Dr. Bowling presented the Clarke County Public Schools’ first draft of the fiscal 2026 budget at the Jan. 27 meeting and recommended a narrow set of new positions while warning of uncertainty in state funding and health‑insurance costs.

The nut graf: The first-draft budget reduces an earlier list of more than $1 million in new-staff requests to a prioritized package estimated at $264,747, calls for two bus replacements and a $40,000 increase in HVAC capital reserves, and sets salary-cost parameters for the board: a 1% pay raise for all employees would cost about $206,000. The superintendent and finance chair urged the board to consider scenarios for 3%, 4% and 5% increases ahead of a Feb. 10 budget workshop.

Dr. Bowling told the board the finance committee reviewed updated state and local revenue estimates. Committee chair Ms. Bennett reported the division expects about a $209,000 reduction in state funding for FY25 driven in part by a lower average-daily-membership (ADM) count and changes in several state lines; that netted an estimated $190,000 reduction overall for FY25 in the committee’s review. For FY26, state calc files currently indicate a modest net increase of about $45,000, and the projected FY26 revenue picture was described overall as close to flat (an estimated $17,000 reduction compared with the FY25 estimate), pending further action by the General Assembly.

Dr. Bowling walked the board through prioritization of personnel requests. Recommended additions (estimated total cost and benefits included in the draft) included increasing contract days for an operations/transportation secretary, a 10‑month behavior analyst assignment prioritized for Boyce Elementary, an instructional assistant in kindergarten at Cooley Elementary, an additional English and math teacher at Johnson Williams Middle School, extending the high‑school athletic trainer contract from 10 to 11 months, and modest technology and special‑education adjustments. She said she had trimmed the original list to $264,747 to reflect budget constraints.

The superintendent emphasized the cost of raises: “The cost of a 1% salary increase for Clark County Public School employees is $206,000,” she said. Board members discussed whether to model budgets that assume 3%, 4% or 5% increases; several members said a 3% floor would be needed to access some state funding while 4–5% would better preserve competitiveness with neighboring districts.

Capital requests were limited: Transportation staff described the bus fleet and urged replacement of two buses to keep the fleet within industry norms. “Our current fleet is 33 total buses. We run 22 of those on daily routes,” said Randy Trenary; he said nine are spares (six considered roadworthy for out-of-county trips, three for county-only use) and two buses are out of service. Repair bills rose from about $19,004 for 2022–23 to about $29,001 so far this year, he said. The draft requests two bus purchases (roughly $135,000 each as state-bid estimates) and an increase to the HVAC repair reserve to $150,000 (the superintendent noted a $40,000 restoration to a prior request amount). Trenary said some rooftop HVAC units have repair costs in the tens of thousands of dollars.

Board and staff also discussed a rising cost in regional special-education placements: the division had budgeted $40,000 this year, recorded about $108,000 actual cost in FY25 and was forecasting a materially higher cost for FY26 (the draft reduced an initial FY26 estimate of roughly $290,000 down to about $240,000 during the finance review; the division said the line is calculated as a three-year rolling average of students placed in the regional program).

Dr. Bowling noted other FY26 budget drivers: costs tied to implementing the expanded Virginia Literacy Act (grades 6–8 materials), ongoing payments for a world‑language curriculum (payment two of three), and credentialing costs for Career and Technical Education exams required under the new Virginia accountability framework. The presentation also described the local composite index (LCI) impact on state funding: the division’s LCI rose to about 0.6032, which Dr. Bowling said reduced state aid in the prior year by roughly $606,000.

The board discussed next steps. Members asked staff to prepare three executive‑summary scenarios showing total cost and the requested county general‑fund transfer assuming (a) a 3% raise, (b) a 4% raise and (c) a 5% raise, plus side-by-side teacher‑scale comparisons under those percentages to illustrate competitiveness. Staff said the Feb. 10 budget workshop and a later public hearing will be used to refine requests; health‑insurance premium changes were not yet available and will be included once insurers provide final numbers.

Ending: The board did not adopt a final budget on Jan. 27. It instructed staff to move draft items into budget scenarios for the Feb. 10 workshop, and to return with comparison scenarios for 3%, 4% and 5% salary increases, plus historical tables showing prior-year requests and county appropriations.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Clarke County Public Schools School Board Meeting 01/27/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Superintendent Dr. Bowling presented the Clarke County Public Schools’ first draft of the fiscal 2026 budget at the Jan. 27 meeting and recommended a narrow set of new positions while warning of uncertainty in state funding and health‑insurance costs.","taxTitle","CLARKE CO PBLC SCHS, School Districts, Virginia","taxId",60767,"location","Virginia","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6305705,"Parents form nonprofit to raise funds for stadium lights, propose equal upgrades for softball and baseball",640,1171000,1811000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2443908-3c4acc8806634cfcebb6dc2e67f94353&start=1171&end=1811","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2443908-3c4acc8806634cfcebb6dc2e67f94353/thumbnail_1171000.jpg","/articles/6305705/Virginia/Parents-form-nonprofit-to-raise-funds-for-stadium-lights-propose-equal-upgrades-for-softball-and-baseball","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6305705-a218c4ce1e2761787f21698aef8e8b2d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771151181&Signature=istytMy3XOpVidSUywRXK3W6RdwbvEvdh-MtI2NyY3bRZJUn3LdVSguB-~wIr9kWsNxeYZ0Zku4J0D4qDsSM8aDdbxxYArmvozT2lMzfdLbU6tiEfArVVo4UTxo8s1NmfUBLf76iNWsljxBFbRFQkw68tYrSGaIZ7ASLTFDjtxNne444mtAZtjwtyXSwYCerFamKISrQCD~w-WdLBh2PZqv0voK397vsMfSTs50CbD7ysyTILWslaGy1DkFI54soFT4iKn71ZDKGe2udb9JEnNM8CIr-x0RiL~vkoeZxaT6JZDsmSuFK2MRdO7LxGuGVpFLVaXZUPEVe9F3UJMjluQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Kathy Paschal told the school board on Jan. 27 that a volunteer group has incorporated a nonprofit, the Clarke County Schools Improvement Fund (CCSIF), to raise tax‑deductible donations for facility upgrades including lights for the baseball and softball fields.

Paschal said CCSIF formed after discussions with school leaders and community partners and decided to be a permanent nonprofit to support multiple infrastructure projects rather than dissolving after a single campaign. “Our organizational purpose is to identify unfunded educational, athletic and extracurricular infrastructure improvements and conduct community fundraising to help offset those costs,” Paschal said.

The nut graf: CCSIF asked the board for endorsement, help raising community awareness and consideration of budgeting to support the project. The group presented project priorities, fundraising activity to date and vendor quotes for lighting and maintenance.

Paschal said the Musco quote from about 18 months ago lists a turnkey price of $202,000 for the softball lights, about $400,000 for baseball, and roughly $258,000 to upgrade the football lights; she summarized the combined cost at about $750,000. She said Musco would provide 25 years of free maintenance if the infield lights and football lighting were upgraded simultaneously. Paschal said the group has raised about $3,000 so far and is pursuing events and donations, and that CCSIF’s bylaws require it to identify at least three projects per year.

Board members asked questions about quotes and fundraising. Paschal said CCSIF has a five-member board including a president, vice president, secretary, treasurer/board chair and another parent volunteer, and described fundraisers held at the county fair and upcoming events.

Ending: The group asked the board for a formal endorsement and help raising community awareness; board members thanked CCSIF for organizing and agreed to consider ways to support the effort during future budget and facilities discussions.","A newly formed 501(c)(3), the Clarke County Schools Improvement Fund, told the board it is fundraising to install lights at the baseball and softball fields and pursue LED upgrades and stage lighting; a turnkey quote was shared and the group asked the board to endorse and help raise awareness.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6305709,"School officials review teen mental-health first-aid proposal tied to opioid-abatement funds",688,477000,1165000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2443908-3c4acc8806634cfcebb6dc2e67f94353&start=477&end=1165","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2443908-3c4acc8806634cfcebb6dc2e67f94353/thumbnail_477000.jpg","/articles/6305709/Virginia/School-officials-review-teen-mental-health-first-aid-proposal-tied-to-opioid-abatement-funds","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6305709-93a6ebd2cd286ce4774ea025351c867c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771151181&Signature=QyiojahIiGh5D9XTlvRZ7wTuFGjCnFMcCdaMB9vQZ8pkF6YjhPwtRXZNxV8lvs76X-WhcROlLDnDEIdT2akGPKBifpjkw5gr5~V344nEJZpGMSRLji6gWJ7DJiO26bsdvsB0y4aU1v8nMF-AzaQyw67qWPCWJHiva-VRdEPFby33bv8qnz1YtoFX3HL-USq6xGVnz-ipeLxEZYmYObtFbGcqOequEF3khL5CN49O0rIbnLy6tb0qWpc5OOd8D2cXVchVtw6x8aV-fO9e3JJZQNcFBDqz3mseTsqy5HDjTOLBW23U29FxBscFLhR1bjOiANtS5CCwawFLUjhlP47-4A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Andrea Bieber, director of program services for the Northwestern Community Services Board, told the Clarke County School Board on Jan. 27 that the board’s county administrator, Chris Boyce, invited the agency to propose using Opioid Abatement Authority funds for youth prevention work in local schools.

Bieber said the proposal would bring an evidence-based Teen Mental Health First Aid curriculum into Clarke County classrooms, targeted at ninth-grade students, and include an optional lesson focused on opioid and fentanyl awareness. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” Bieber said, and described the curriculum as an established practice endorsed by national behavioral-health groups.

The nut graf: The presentation asked the school board’s consent to allow county staff to complete a grant application that could direct Opioid Abatement Authority settlement funds to school-based prevention and education. School staff said the application would not obligate the division to accept funds beyond the school system’s decision-making process.

Bieber described how the Opioid Abatement Authority distributes settlement money to cities and counties under a state formula tied to assessed harm and per-capita measures. She said Clarke County must decide locally how to use any awarded funds and that the proposal would be non-competitive in the sense that each locality determines allocation priorities.

Bieber outlined the proposed program: identified school staff (for example, counselors) would be trained to deliver the Teen Mental Health First Aid course during the school year (either three 90-minute lessons or six 45-minute lessons depending on scheduling). The plan would run on a two-year grant cycle so two ninth-grade cohorts would be served in succession. Parents would be able to opt children out of the lessons, she said.

Bieber also provided local context. She said Clarke County’s cost-per-person estimate tied to opioid-related services is about $493 and reported county opioid deaths of seven in 2021, four in 2022 and two in 2023. She said those county-level figures are “stratified across the general population,” not limited to high-school students, and confirmed that fentanyl is included in the Abatement Authority’s scope: “Fentanyl is definitely part of the problem with the opioid abatement,” she said. She added the curriculum could be customized locally and that the proposed partnership would include neighboring counties.

School Superintendent Dr. Bowling and county staff said they would move forward with completing the grant application unless the board directed otherwise. At the meeting’s close of the presentation the superintendent said staff would keep the board informed at each step.

Ending: The presentation did not create a binding commitment to accept funds; it advanced the county and school staff’s plan to file an application for Opioid Abatement Authority monies to pilot a prevention program in ninth grade and to add an optional fentanyl-awareness lesson if the grant is awarded.","Clarke County School officials heard a presentation from Northwestern Community Services Board on using Opioid Abatement Authority funds for a Teen Mental Health First Aid curriculum aimed at ninth-graders and opioid/fentanyl awareness; staff said they will proceed with an application if the board has no objection.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

School leaders present FY26 budget draft, propose targeted hires and weigh 3–5% pay increases

Parents form nonprofit to raise funds for stadium lights, propose equal upgrades for softball and baseball

School officials review teen mental-health first-aid proposal tied to opioid-abatement funds