March 14 - 20, 2024
Falls Church, Virginia • w w w . fc n p . c o m • Free
Founded 1991 • Vol. XXXIV No. 5
The City of Falls Church’s Independent, Locally-Owned Newspaper of Record, Serving N. Virginia
Schools’ 1st Springtime for Sports Collective Bargaining Pact OK’d Unanimous School Board Vote on New Budget, Too
by Nicholas F. Benton
Falls Church News-Press
The Falls Church City Schools’ Board approved unanimously at its meeting Monday night two landmark collective bargaining agreements with the Falls Church City Education Association, representing certified and non-certified employees of the Falls Church City Public Schools, marking a milestone in fostering what a school system statement called “a supportive and collaborative working environment for all our staff members.” The move came in the context of the School Board’s adoption, again unanimously, of its FY24 proposed budget that will now be folded into the Falls Church City Manager’s proposed budget. The manager’s budget will be introduced to the City Council on April 1. Expected to include a modest real estate tax reduction, it will be deliberated by the Council leading to a final adoption at the end of April before the start of the new fiscal year on July 1. The collective bargaining agreement is a first, as the School Board agreed to enter into collective bargaining with its teachers and staff for the first time a year ago, following on action by the State Legislature to permit it. After months of diligent negotiations and collaborative efforts, the collective bargaining agreements “stand as a testament to the shared dedication of
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IT WAS A GLORIOUS SPRING-LIKE day Tuesday when a plethora of spring sports kicked off around the campus of Falls Church’s Meridian High School, including (shown here) for baseball. Officially, Spring doesn’t commence for yet another week, but that didn’t stop the Mustangs or Mother Nature, for that matter. See a sports report inside. (News-Press Photo)
Del. Simon: Key Bills Passed in Richmond
by Marcus Simon (D)
Virginia State Delegate
(Exclusive to the News-Press) The 2024 Regular Session of the Virginia General Assembly came to a close on Saturday, adjourning sine die (i.e. with no firm date to reconvene) at 5:05 p.m. During this “long” session (every other year at 60 days instead of the alternative years’ 45), legislators considered just over 3,500 pieces of legislation, sending about 1,000 bills to the governor for his review. The legislature will consider any actions by the governor at a reconvened session in midApril. Actions included a longawaited passage of a proposed charter amendment for the City
of Falls Church lifting the residency requirement for applicants to City boards and commissions. (see below). On the last day of the 2024 Session March 8, legislators voted on the Budget Conference report, which represented the final compromise version between the two houses. It included a record investment in public education for both K-12 students and Virginia’s higher education system. The final version of the budget headed to the governor included over half a billion dollars as the state share of a three percent teacher pay raise as the General Assembly embarked on a three year plan to raise Virginia teacher salaries to at least the national average.
The budget also included $150 million in funding for Metro that had been omitted from earlier versions of the Senate budget. The budget also required Virginia to re-enter the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, and fully held localities like the City of Falls Church harmless by replacing income lost to the elimination of the state sales tax on groceries in 2022. “Our Number One priority has been, and always will be, building a better future for our children and for hardworking Virginia families. Full stop. That is what we have been working towards in the last two months and that is what this budget reflects. I am thankful for the leadership of Chairman Torian
and Chairwoman Lucas who have crafted a fiscally responsible budget that will grow our economy, support our workforce, and invest in our public schools,” said Delegate Don Scott, Speaker of the House of Delegates. The budget was also notable for what it did not include, which was any language that would have facilitated the relocation of Monumental Sports and their sports franchises, the National Hockey League’s Capitals, and the National Basketball Association’s Wizards, to Potomac Yards in Alexandria. Legislation to do the same passed narrowly in the House of Delegates but died
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