Budget workshop: staff outline possible $16.3M in additional state funding, discuss vacancies, bonuses and program costs

Crystal Pate presented the division’s second budget workshop to the School Board in February 2025 and described a General Assembly budget package that could provide roughly $16,300,000 in additional state funding for the division pending the governor’s approval.

Pate outlined how that $16.3 million would be allocated in the House and Senate proposals staff reviewed: approximately $10,900,000 to amend the support-position staffing standard, $2,700,000 for technical updates (enrollment and other updates), and $2,700,000 as an add-on for special education funding. The package also includes a $1,000 bonus effective June 1, 2025, for Standards of Quality (SOQ) instructional and support positions; staff said the board can elect how to distribute that $1,000 and cautioned that the governor must still act by March 24.

Dr. J. Robertson (Superintendent) and staff described budget trade-offs the division has already made: debt service and PAYGO totals sit at $50,071,611 and $3,000,000 respectively in the current planning materials, and the division…