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Loudoun Now for Jan. 12, 2023

Page 1

n LOUDOUN

Pg. 4 | n LEESBURG

VOL. 8, NO. 8

Pg. 8 | n EDUCATION

Pg. 10 | n OBITUARIES

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Acting Superintendent Presents Lowest Local Budget Bump Request in Years BY ALEXIS GUSTIN

Pg. 23

JANUARY 12, 2023

Supervisors Fund Arts Program, Segregation Study BY RENSS GREENE

agustin@loudounnow.com

Acting Superintendent Daniel Smith presented his $1.67 billion fiscal year 2024 budget proposal to the School Board on Tuesday night, recommending the school district’s smallest increase in local tax funding in more than a decade. Smith said his budget proposal was guided by the One LCPS 2027 Strategic Plan for Excellence, and a question: “What is needed to achieve our mission and vision through the goals and aligned actions of the strategic plan?” Smith’s budget proposal seeks a 6.9% increase in local tax funding over last year, smaller than any other annual increase since at least fiscal year 2012, according to his presentation. Under his proposal the overall budget, which includes various sources of funding, would grow 6.8%, one of the lower budget increases over that time period. “LCPS students are our top priority. Our work supporting our students, their learning and their future success is why we exist,” Smith said. According to Smith, the division’s enrollment is projected to increase by 1% for fiscal year 2024, to an estimated 83,061. He said the high school population will grow by 2.7%, middle schools will grow by 1.3% and elementary school enrollment, the largest population, will drop by 0.5%. He also noted the division’s student body is changing, requiring addition-

Pg. 17 | n PUBLIC NOTICES

rgreene@loudounnow.com

Alexis Gustin/Loudoun Now

Acting Superintendent Daniel Smith presents his budget on Jan. 10 to the School Board

al funding in areas like English learners, with a student population increase of 12.2%; a projected 0.9% increase in special education students, and a 3.6% increase in the number of economically disadvantaged students. Smith said these changes will require $6.2 million to fund 48 staff positions including teachers, English Learner teachers, Special Education positions, and staffing for a new middle

school and elementary school, MS-14 and ES-32 which are slated to open fall 2024 and fall 2025. He noted higher staffing standards next year including $2.2 million to fund 18 English language positions and meet a 1:50 kindergarten ratio; $2.8 million to hire 25

Supervisors on Jan. 3 voted to fund a two-year study on the lasting impacts and options for reconciliation around Loudoun’s history of school segregation, along with narrowly approving a two-year pilot of county public arts program. The money comes from the $114.6 million year-end balance leftover from the county’s fiscal year 2022 budget, about 5% of the county’s $2.1 billion in revenues that year. Supervisors dedicated $550,000 to the arts program, planning to hire a contractor to develop a countywide arts plan, set up satellite art galleries to display the county’s collection, and hire two temporary, two-year, full-time positions to curate the satellite galleries and manage a Call for Sculptures program. Facing the toughest budget of the last two terms, supervisors remained split on funding the arts program. “There’s a lot of private art out there. There are a lot of nonprofits that have art show fundraisers, and we do have a lot in the county through the schools and parks,” Supervisor Kristen C. Umstattd (D-Leesburg) said. “Philosophically, I think the private

SCHOOLS BUDGET continues on page 43

BOARD FUNDING continues on page 43

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