Budget Revisions Could Yield Pay Increase for Schools

A revised Prince William County School budget could provide a pay increase for PWCS employees if adopted.

PWCS issued a budget update March 16 that said superintendent Dr. Stephen Walts and the eight-member school board considered four revised budget scenarios in a meeting on March 16.

“The group reached consensus built on a foundation of reductions suggested by the Superintendent that would allow for a one percent pay hike, then selected additional reductions to double available funding,” read the release.

The financial services department release said that anticipated budget reductions could result in the loss of 86 positions in the school system; but that Walts “expressed confidence that the losses could be absorbed through attrition, select hiring deferrals, and reassigning displaced employees across the ever-growing school division.”

From PWCS' website:

"Reductions to the Superintendent’s proposed budget will also cover anticipated School Division costs for a change in the Virginia Retirement System (VRS). The change would require all school divisions in Virginia to have employees make a contribution to VRS, but offset the change with an equal change in salary," reads the release. "This would have no net cost to employees and would not reduce the 2-percent increase funded by budget changes. However, the state plans will mean approximately $1 million in added expense to PWCS."

"All information remains tentative and based on the best information available at this time," said the release. "The state has yet to approve a budget, the county has yet to set the tax rate, and the changes to the Virginia Retirement System are not yet finalized."

All of this could require further modifications to budget decisions. 

For now, school board members directed Superintendent Walts to finalize the 2012-13 budget proposal based on the consensus reached on March 14. The Board will hear public comments and is scheduled to adopt a budget plan at their March 21 meeting.