The Falls Church School Board unanimously adopted the division’s budget for the 2018-2019 school year during its regular meeting on Tuesday, May 8th.

The $51 million dollar plan represents a less than 1% increase overall compared to the current budget year. But because of decreases in state funding, it requires a 2.8% increase in the local transfer - the lowest requested increase in the last five years.

“This budget reflects the priorities in our Triennial Plan and reflects our current collective needs,” Superintendent Peter Noonan said. “Our stated mission is to be the premier International Baccalaureate (IB) school division in the country, and this budget provides support for all FCCPS students while maintaining small class sizes.”

The FY2019 Budget includes funding for:

• additional support for Special Education,
• additional support for the Primary Years Programme,
• repurposing of staff to support ESOL students,
• and a 3% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for all staff

This budget shows significant fiscal restraint as it includes only 1/3 of the requests from FCCPS principals and staff. “I want to commend our budget team for the hard scrub of our current budget to find nearly $700k in efficiencies that will fund the remaining Triennial Plan priorities,” Dr. Noonan said.

Adopted budget motions and documents are being posted on the school Division’s budget website: budget.fccps.org.

The Falls Church School Board unanimously approved its request of City Council for funding for the 2018-2019 school year. The $42 million local transfer request represents a 2.9% increase over current funding; the lowest requested increase in the last five years.

It includes funds for:

• additional support for Special Education,
• additional support for the Primary Years Programme,
• repurposing of staff to support ESOL students, and
• a 3% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for all staff (among the lowest in the region).

The School Board’s budget request reflects the priorities in our Triennial Plan

● The School Board’s FY 2019 Budget reflects the priorities of our school system, is aligned with our Triennial Plan, and reflects our current collective needs while recognizing the need for fiscal restraint within the current CIP environment.

● Numerous meetings were held in the community, with staff and faculty, and with our local governmental bodies to understand the respective group's priorities that could be included while remaining true to the Triennial Plan.

Our requested increase of 2.9 percent will not require a tax rate increase and is lower than the request and the funding increase received in the last five years

● With reduced state funding, revenue beyond the 2 percent guidance from the City is essential to continue to offer the high-quality education Falls Church City expects from its schools.

● The requested increase will fund the cost of providing a 3% COLA and adding a psychologist.

● We made reductions and realignments to fund the remaining Triennial Plan priorities.

● The budget request shows significant fiscal restraint as it includes only 1/3 of the requests from our principals and staff.

The centerpiece of the proposed budget is a 3 percent cost of living adjustment (COLA) for all of our employees

● Our number one resource in our system is our people. Our “human capital” is vital to the health of the system and as such a fair and competitive wage is necessary.

● This proposed COLA will benefit every FCCPS employee as compared to a step increase which excludes some employees especially those who have given the greatest years of service.

● While the COLA will improve our teacher pay, on average our teacher salary scale is below Arlington’s current salaries.

Surrounding school systems are all proposing salary increases averaging 4.7% for their employees.

Our stated mission is to be the premier International Baccalaureate (IB) school division in the country, and the proposed budget provides support for all FCCPS students while maintaining small class sizes

● An additional school psychologist is needed to serve students’ emotional and social needs.

● A new resource teacher in Special Education will be added and a LEIP teacher position will be repurposed to serve as an English for Speakers of Other Languages resource teacher. These two positions, along with our curriculum resource teacher will create a “support triad” that focuses on instruction for all students and professional learning for all teachers in the division.

● To support our IB program, we need a 0.5 PYP coordinator for each Thomas Jefferson Elementary School and Mount Daniel Elementary School.

The request will be included in the City Manager's budget presentation to the City Council on March 12th.

Two Town Hall meetings are scheduled for March 18th and April 8th.

Superintendent's Proposed Budget - PDF

Superintendent's Proposed Budget - MS Excel

written Presentations

Staff Report

FY19 Budget Update - Presented by Interim Chief Operating Officer Deirdra McLaughlin

Employee Advisory Committees

Professional Employee Advisory Committee Recommendations

Support Employee Advisory Committee Recommendations

Administrative Employee Advisory Committee Recommendations

School Board Advisory Committees

Special Education Advisory Committee

Language Instruction Educational Program Committee

Gifted and Talented Advisory Committee