The Prince William County Board of Supervisors and School Board members are sparring over how much funding the education system needs in a budget year rocked by an estimated $51 million shortfall.

School leaders and supervisors agree on the need to raise teacher salaries and build an 11th high school, but remain split on how much to spend to meet their goals.

The School Board has been coping with rapid growth of 2,000 students each year and is educating 4,800 students in portable classrooms.

The problems are leading Supervisor Wally Covington, R-Brentsville, to propose spending $10,000 of his discretionary funds on portable bathrooms for Brentsville High School at today’s meeting.

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School Superintendent Steven Walts’ proposed budget relies on a nearly 12 percent increase in the county’s contribution to schools, or almost $50 million, from $410.6 million to $459.2 million.

But county supervisors contend there is not enough money to meet those requirements and are considering cutting as much as $18 million from the school spending plan.

The combination of cuts could threaten teacher pay raises and the school building plan, school advocates argue.

“It is essential for the Board of County Supervisors to ensure that education receives the level of funding that our children deserve,” School Board members said in a resolution last week. “We are at risk of not being able to provide the essential educational services that our children require.”

The school funding increase over last year would help pay for smaller class sizes, teacher pay increases and extra money to handle a growth of about 1,900 students next year.

But Board of Supervisors Chairman Corey Stewart cautioned that the possibility of a recession limits the amount the county can raise taxes.

“It’s a tough budget year, and we’ve got to make some hard decisions,” Stewart said, calling education and public safety top priorities. “It is vitally important that we not increase local people’s property tax bills at the same time that we may be headed into a recession.”

Supervisors have requested a detailed version of the School Board’s budget proposal to better examine the expenses, though some have criticized the school’s central administration and suggested pay freezes.

School administrators are awaiting more budget direction from the supervisors before identifying how suggested revenue cuts would affect programs, school spokesman Ken Blackstone said.

Supervisors deadlocked on a tax rate increase last week and are set to vote again Tuesday.

dgenz@dcexaminer.com