The Spotsylvania County School Board was tasked with balancing its Fiscal Year 2027 budget Wednesday night despite lacking a clear picture of state funding.
The board voted 7-0 to approve a resolution adopting a $515.8 million budget based on an expectation of the state providing $3.1 million in funding for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins July 1.
The school board had a funding shortfall of $14.8 million prior to the board of supervisors providing an additional $8.4 million in operational funds. That total, combined with the expected state funding, left the board with a $3.2 million gap to balance during Wednesday’s work session.
While the board left some positions frozen until state funding is determined, Phillip Trayer, the school division’s chief financial officer, noted that the state Senate’s budget proposal is typically what ends up being adopted. The budget must be finalized by June 30.
“The Senate proposed an additional $3.2 million; the House was upward of $10 million,” Trayer said. “This is the lower of the two amounts. I have full expectation that while there are big differences between the House and the Senate, we will at least get this $3 million.”
That left the board with plenty of work to do to trim the $3.2 million shortfall. They saved a significant amount by not approving permanent legal counsel for the division.
Board member Lorita Daniels, who represents the Salem District, was perturbed by that decision, because the board pledged to hire in-house attorneys in the last budget cycle.
However, Larry DiBella of the Berkeley District reminded Daniels that three new members are on the board, who had no say in that decision.
Vice Chair Belen Rodas (Chancellor District) said she doesn’t believe she failed to deliver on a promise because the positions were approved before the school board learned of the funding shortfall and was forced to decide on several positions.
“We approved a budget that had these in, and we didn’t get the money,” Rodas said. “I don’t think there’s anything un-transparent about that, nor do I feel like I’m not keeping my word, because we can only spend the funds that we’re given.”
Rodas noted that Superintendent Clint Mitchell said repeatedly it would take at least three years to close the $46.8 million funding gap the division was facing when he arrived in 2024. This is the second year of that process.
“We came with the whole list last year and said it’s going to take a few years,” Rodas said. “We did the first part, now we’re doing the second part, and it’s going to take one or two more years to do it all.”
Daniels’ motion that included adding an assistant for Dennis Martin, the division’s executive director of organizational compliance, passed 6-1 with Carol Medawar of the Courtland District casting the lone dissenting vote. Medwar later voted to adopt the final resolution to make that decision unanimous.
Daniels’ motion also included adding three Career and Technical Education instructors, a move that Medawar said she does not support, instead preferring to add only two. The initial budget approved five, and while Mitchell and his staff recommended two, DiBella and Lee Hill District representative Rich Lieberman pushed for three to maximize capacity in the building.
DiBella and Lieberman also supported the Rap Back program — a continuous background check system for employees. The budget includes $64,000 for the service, a total that will allow it to be implemented for all new hires and a phased-in approach for current employees.
