Schools

Jones Proposes Her First FCCPS Budget at a Meeting Tuesday

Proposed $37.6 million budget calls for five additional teachers, full step for staff.

With less than a year on the job as superintendent of Falls Church City Public Schools, Dr. Toni Jones presented her first proposed budget at Tuesday’s school board meeting.

Jones made it clear to the few FCCPS staff members in the audience at the meeting that the proposed $37.6 million fiscal year 2013 operating budget was not final and is subject to change. Jones’ proposed budget also calls for a $29.8 million city transfer. FCCPS received a $27.8 transfer from the city for FY 2012.

“We’re trying to be very efficient and trying to put as much money back into the classes as possible,” Jones said.

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About 72 percent of the proposed budget would be spent on instruction, Jones said during her presentation. With student the current student this school year, Jones said there is a need for five more teachers which would cost FCCPS $400,000 in salaries and benefits for the positions. Jones also recommended that all FCCPS staff members receive a full step increase, which would cost the school system about $720,000. Jon Pepper, president of the Falls Church City Education Association and a teacher at said staff received a mid-year full step in the FY 2012 budget that they will see in March. The proposed FY 2013 step would be seen in the beginning of the next school year if the budget were adopted, he said.

Jones said she has enjoyed working with her senior staff at FCCPS on the proposed budget and has developed a working relationship with City Manager Wyatt Shields and the city’s CFO Richard La Condre. She said working on this proposed budget was somewhat different from her dealings in Oklahoma where a bulk of the funding came from the Federal Government. In the proposed FY 2013 budget, only about one percent of the funding would be Federal and about 78 percent would come from the city.

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“We’re hopeful that where we stand today will look different in eight weeks,” Jones said referring to possible changes in VRS (Virginia Retirement System) costs FCCPS would incur. FCCPS is looking at more than a $1 million increase, according to the proposed budget.

Jones said she is very positive about the proposed budget. She said everyone who has worked on the budget has gone line by line to see what they can do to better serve the students. With possible changes in funding to be decided in Richmond, Jones said she couldn’t say how the proposed budget will do.

“It’s too early,” Jones said. “We can’t think of is as a budget, it’s only recommendations now.”

Here is a list of future public hearing dates for FY 2013 FCCPS budget discussions:

Jan. 24, first public hearing

Feb. 7, second public hearing

Feb. 14, third public hearing

March 17, town hall meeting

May 8, FCCPS school board adopts budget

 


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