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Pr. William budget would build high school, raise teacher salaries
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WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Prince William County taxpayers are set to boost local school funding next year by 12.5 percent in an $836 million budget proposal that satisfies most of the school board’s wish list despite the county’s budget crunch.
The spending plan Superintendent Steven Walts proposed would raise teacher salaries, build an 11th high school, reduce class sizes and add staff to teach another 1,900 students next year.
However, it is not clear whether the county Board of Supervisors is willing to approve the proposal, as enormous losses in property values have presented one of the county’s worst budget forecasts in decades.
The money comes from a proposed 28 percent tax rate increase supervisors tentatively approved in December that would raise property taxes about 10 percent on the average homeowner and about 30 percent on some businesses.
Several members of the Board of Supervisors, including Chairman Corey Stewart, have pledged to try to lower the proposed tax rate during budget negotiations later this year. Supervisors forced the school board to slash its budget last year, and another protracted battle could be on tap this spring.
But even with the large tax increase, some school goals cannot be funded, such as teacher salaries that match other jurisdictions.
“Unfortunately, we are not going to be able to upgrade teacher salaries to match our neighboring school divisions,” Walts said.
The plan includes $17 million for 3 percent wage increases for all employees and another 3 percent pay raise for teachers with satisfactory ratings. However, the increase is not expected to bridge the gap with competing divisions including Loudoun, Fairfax and Arlington counties and Alexandria.
While supervisors endorse proposals to raise salaries and build another high school, several have expressed concerns.
“The rate is too high of a burden on the taxpayers,” Supervisor Wally Covington, R-Brentsville, told The Examiner. “The average increase on commercial properties is 30 percent, and that is not sustainable when we are competing with Stafford, Manassas and Fairfax.”
The school board is scheduled to hold a public meeting on the budget Monday at Osbourn Park High School.
dgenz@dcexaminer.com
Comments from Examiner Readers
6:44 AM MST on Wed., Apr. 23, 2008 re: "Pr. William chairman proposes cutting $21 million in spending"
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7:01 AM MST on Wed., Dec. 19, 2007
re: "Government agency needs pile up in county despite massive deficit"
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1:46 PM MST on Mon., Oct. 29, 2007
re: "New schools, $32M deficit to dominate budget meeting"
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blue_doggette said:
Perhaps if the Supervisors signed a waiver and agreed to pay for any legal fees awarded over our 287 (g) criminal alien out of their own pockets, they would quickly appropriate the money for vehicle cameras. Going against the advice of County Attorney Horton and the CXO, Corey Stewart continues to lead the charge against these devices. Perhaps he should listen to his executive employees rather than a certain Gainesville district resident who has been giving him very bad advise.
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Examiner Reader said:
No wonder foreclosures are so high in PW county. A county of 400,000 with an estimated 70,000 illegals (at the highest). The illegals have to live somewhere....so investors buy multiple homes to use as rentals. The illegals move out because PW county cracksdown (good)....however that leaves hundreds of homes vacant....and maybe foreclosed. We'll get through this pain. The Federal Gov't caused this problem by encouraging illegals to come by their silence.....the Feds should step up and compensate PW county for the problem they caused in the first place. PW county will be fine. We'll get through this.
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Examiner Reader said:
Get rid of the Illegals and you won't need to build new schools.
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