During last night’s budget work session, members of the Albemarle County School Board finalized a budget request to submit to the Board of Supervisors, to be discussed during the board’s February 25 meeting. (Locals will have the opportunity to comment on March 3.) The Daily Progress notes that, in addition to a possible 40 cuts in staff, the requested budget—$145.2 million for fiscal 2012—exceeds what the board will likely receive by $8.8 million.
If the $8.8 million gap throws the school board a bit off balance, its budget request will do the same for the Board of Supervisors—literally. The school board’s submitted budget request is unbalanced, a move that could compel supervisors to consider raising the county’s real estate tax above $0.74 per $100 (compared to a real estate tax of $0.95 per $100 in Charlottesville).
The school board’s request includes a proposed move to block scheduling, a move originally intended for the 2011-2012 school year. A message from county schools communications coordinator Maury Brown explains that block scheduling "increases the number of credit opportunities for students in their four years of high school from 28 to 32," and saves roughly $840,000 in salary reductions. The Albemarle County Public Schools Parent Council website features a "Frequently Asked Questions" post about block scheduling.