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Board appropriates $2.16 million Virginia Literacy Act carryover, delays decision on supplemental school bonuses
Summary
The board approved $2,155,860.62 in state carryover funding to continue the Virginia Literacy Act work but deferred action on additional school bonus requests and other school carryovers until July as staff and supervisors sought more fiscal-year-end data.
The Franklin County Board of Supervisors on a recorded vote appropriated $2,155,860.62 in state carryover funds to the school division to continue implementation of the Virginia Literacy Act. The appropriation covers carryover funds for a three-year program that the school division said supports teacher training, high-intensity tutoring and attendance interventions.
School division representatives requested three items during the meeting: (1) carryover appropriation of $2,155,860.62 for the Virginia Literacy Act (state funds), (2) a request for local support to supplement a state-funded $1,000 one-time bonus for SOQ-funded (Standards of Quality) school employees so the bonus could be extended to all employees at the same level, and (3) use of the school division’s FY23–24 carryover of $367,370 for capital or personnel as the school board deems appropriate. The board approved item (1) and tabled the remaining requests for discussion in July.
School representative (Miss Tuttle) told the board the literacy funds are restricted to implementation, high-intensity tutoring for struggling readers, and chronic absenteeism work; she said the grant does not require local funds. County Finance Director (Brian, staff) presented the county’s fiscal update, explaining a timing gap in property-tax collections created a roughly $15 million cash-flow difference in May that the county expects to reconcile after June receipts. Brian told the board the county will present a more complete projection of year-end numbers in July.
Board members debated the school bonus request’s timing and fiscal effects. The state provided $661,863 for SOQ positions that the school division can use for $1,000 bonuses to those eligible employees; the school division has asked the county for an additional $660,164 to extend the $1,000 bonus to non-SOQ employees so all school staff would receive the same one-time payment. County staff said paying an additional $660,164 would require appropriation of new local funds not currently budgeted and recommended the board wait for final fiscal-year surplus numbers in July before committing local dollars.
After discussion the board voted to table the school’s request for supplemental bonus funding and any decision on the school division carryover use until the July meeting to allow staff to present updated carryover and year-end projections. The board voted to reappropriate the literacy carryover at this meeting so the school division can continue the program without delay.
Supervisors asked staff and the school division to provide detailed examples of which positions are state-funded (SOQ) and which are not, and to show cost breakdowns for full-time and part-time employees before the July decision. The board also discussed the timing requirements for state reimbursement related to the county’s ability to pay July bonuses for certain local staff and the school’s state processing deadlines for June.
