Schools

Alexandria's Public School System Asks for 7.2 Percent Increase in Funding

A first look at the school system's budget request for fiscal year 2012

Alexandria’s public school system last week asked for just over $210 million to operate during fiscal year 2012, a 7.2 percent increase compared to fiscal 2011.

The proposed budget includes $173.9 million from the City of Alexandria, up 3.6 percent compared to FY11. Although this is an increase, the city appropriation per student has declined $1,130 since FY08, according to the 2012 budget proposal.

The budget plan expects state revenues to increase 4.2 percent in FY12 and local revenues to jump nearly 31 percent. But the jump in Alexandria revenue is partly due to the transfer of Medicaid funding to the Operating Fund. Without the transfer, the proposal says local revenue would have dropped by about 19 percent.

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The budget request consists of three separate funds.

The Operating Fund provides for daily running of the school division and its primary revenue sources come from the state and Alexandria. Operating fund expenditures are expected to increase by 7.2 percent in FY12. This fund represents about 90 percent of the total budget revenue.

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The Grants and Special Projects Fund accounts for all federal, state and local grants. Expenditures in this arena are expected to increase by 3.5 percent and this fund is about 7 percent of the budget total.

The School Nutrition Fund, which amounts to about 3 percent of the budget total, provides for all food services operating and administrative costs and its expenditures are expected to rise by 4.3 percent due to higher food prices, staff compensation and purchase of larger amounts of whole grain and fresh foods. The school system is expanding the Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Program so that all elementary schools can provide a fresh snack to students three times a week. A pilot program has been running at Jefferson-Houston School in Old Town.

The budget planners are also anticipating higher costs per pupil. Average per pupil costs increased by 3.1 percent to $17,810 from FY11 to FY12. The school board expects a 2 percent rise in the cost per pupil for English Language Learners to reach $17,223 in FY12. The cost for special education pupils will drop 1 percent to $33,506 per student.

Alexandria City Public Schools project student growth to increase by 3.2 percent, or 382 students, for FY12.  Most of that growth is coming to elementary schools but there’s a predicted decline in secondary school enrollment, which will offset the increase in the lower grades.

“ACPS is in the midst of significant transformation, not just at T.C. Williams High School with its recent designation as one of the persistently-lowest achieving high schools Virginia, but in all schools and departments,” reads the budget request. “This designation for T.C. Williams, and the corresponding achievement gaps that exist for many of our diverse groups of students, can be seen in the historical data over many years.”

Alexandria’s students come from more than 128 different countries and speak more than 75 languages, according to school system data.

The City Council this spring is expected to pass the FY12 approved city budget, which includes a final appropriation to schools.

The proposed budget is available on the school board's website.


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