Superintendent Noonan Proposes $54.6 Million Budget to F.C. School Board

Nicholas F. Benton

Nicholas F. Benton is owner and Editor-In-Chief of the Falls Church News-Press.

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F.C. SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT Peter Noonan presented his recommended FY21 budget to the Falls Church School Board Tuesday night. (Photo: News-Press)

Tuesday night Peter Noonan, superintendent of the Falls Church City Public Schools, presented a $54.6 million Fiscal Year 2021 recommended budget falling within the 3.1 percent growth guidelines set by the F.C. City Council last month that includes a full step and one percent cost-of-living increase for the system’s teachers and staff.

It marks the second straight year that Noonan’s proposed budget has come within the guideline parameters of the Council, due in part to a more generous Council guidance (it was 2 percent a year ago) and the new Democratic-controlled government in Richmond that is promising, via the governor’s proposed budget, increased financial support from the state.

In a statement issued Tuesday, Noonan said, “We are grateful for the support that our City Council, School Board, and community have provided for our new high school, and recognizing those efforts we have again developed a budget that allows us to address our most pressing needs and provide a competitive wage for employees while also meeting Budget Guidance from the City Council. With increases in both local and state funding this year we are continuing the investment into our three goals: IB for All, Caring Community and Culture, and Closing Gaps.”

While including the proposed step increase for eligible employees at a cost of $971,814 and a one percent COLA for all staff members (at a cost of $409,183), the budget proposal has no reduction in staff size like last year and instead includes a second middle school International Baccalaureate coordinator, an English and language arts boost, two part time (one full-time equivalent) social worker, contract length adjustments, a preschool clinic personnel post and added custodial support to handle the 100,000 additional square feet at the new George Mason high school now slated for completion next December. Other proposed expenditures include projected increases in health insurance and the employer contribution rate for the state-mandated Virginia Retirement System.

In December, the City Council approved a Budget Guidance of 3.1 percent or a $1.3 million increase. The governor’s proposed budget included additional state aid impacted by re-benchmarking and increases in sales tax providing FCCPS with additional funding. “These increases will allow us to address some of our most pressing needs,” Noonan said.

The proposed FY 21 budget is an overall 4.4 percent increase in the current FY2020 budget, with the portion above the 3.1 percent Council guidance coming from the state and other sources. It requests a City transfer increase of $1.3 million that is within City Council 3.1 percent budget guidance.

Next Tuesday, Jan. 21, the School Board will hold its first in-depth work session on the proposed budget. The public will have multiple opportunities to comment on the proposed budget before the School Board adopts a final version on Feb. 18 and sends it to the City Council to be folded into the City Manager Wyatt Shields’ overall FY21 operating budget recommendation on March 9 and the Council’s final budget adoption in last April.