Public commenters urge Fluvanna schools to request $3.2 million from Board of Supervisors at budget hearing

The Fluvanna County School Board recessed its meeting and reconvened for a budget public hearing, where residents urged the board to ask the Board of Supervisors to cover a $3.2 million shortfall in the school budget and pressed officials for a plan if federal funding is reduced.

The hearing followed a board vote to adopt the agenda with the budget public hearing moved before reports from the superintendent. The board recessed to reconvene at 6 p.m. for the hearing and later voted to recess the full meeting until Feb. 12, when the board will hold a closed session at 5 p.m., open session at 6 p.m., a budget presentation at 6:30 p.m. and a budget hearing at 7 p.m.

Why it matters: commenters said cuts could affect meals and school operations. Public comment cited that about 36% of Fluvanna students — more than 1,100 pupils, according to materials cited by a speaker — are economically disadvantaged and that the district received roughly $2 million in federal funds last year. Residents asked whether the district has a plan to replace federal dollars if those funds are reduced or eliminated.

During the public comment period, Jocelyn Cunningham, who identified herself by voting district, described community concern about food insecurity and federal funding cuts and asked the board directly: "Do you have a plan in place to make up for the loss of federal dollars in the school budget once the Department of Education gets dismantled?" Cunningham said the district is already beginning the budget cycle "over $3,000,000 in the hole" and asked whether the state or the Board of Supervisors would be expected to cover any shortfall.

Resident Ashley Crocker, of the Fort Union District, urged the board to ask for the full $3.2 million the district officials say is needed. "The only thing that we can do, the only thing that we must do, is ask for what is truly needed and pass a budget that includes the $3,200,000 in additional funding our school district so desperately needs," Crocker said. She said teachers are underpaid compared with neighboring districts and that some school facilities are in poor condition; she also repeated reports that students at Carys Brook sometimes lack access to clean water.

Board motions and schedule: At the start of the meeting a board member moved to adopt the agenda with a revision to move the budget public hearing ahead of the superintendent's reports; another board member seconded the motion and the board voted in favor. Later a motion to take a short recess to resume at 6 p.m. for the budget public hearing was made, seconded and approved by voice vote. Near the end of the meeting a motion to recess the meeting until Wednesday, Feb. 12, with the schedule noted above, was made, seconded and approved by voice vote; the chair recorded an affirmative vote.

The board did not adopt any substantive budget decisions during the hearing; public comment was invited and staff said they were monitoring federal developments cited by speakers. The hearing closed and the board set the Feb. 12 meeting as the date to continue budget deliberations and hold the scheduled presentation and hearing.

The next scheduled budget presentation and hearing are set for Feb. 12, with a presentation at 6:30 p.m. and a hearing at 7 p.m., according to the board's motion.