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The Henrico School Board last night approved its proposed budget for the 2020-2021 fiscal year. The $656.5-million proposal is unchanged from the initial version proposed by Superintendent Amy Cashwell. and would be an increase of nearly 4 percent from the current fiscal year budget.
The proposal now will advance to the Board of Supervisors for consideration in the overall county budget for the coming fiscal year, which begins July 1.
The Board of Supervisors establishes a countywide budget and then allocates a lump sum to the School Board, which may then spend that money however it sees fit.
The school board is proposing to create 125 new positions, including 35 for full-time substitute teachers, 40 for new elementary school counselors, 15 for reading specialists and a number for full-time instructional assistants for students with special needs, among others.
The budget proposal does not include a request for a pay raise for teachers, because school officials are awaiting word from both the General Assembly (which is considering statewide raises for teachers), and the Board of Supervisors (which is likely to propose a countywide pay raise for all eligible county employees).
Henrico operates on a unified pay system, meaning that any proposed pay raises must be offered to all eligible employees throughout the county government, not just some.
County Manager John Vithoulkas will present his budget proposal to the Board of Supervisors March 10, and then the School Board and school system officials will meet with Vithoulkas and supervisors March 18 to discuss the proposal in more detail.
