Waynesboro School Board approves balanced budget for 2024-2025 school year

In 11 years with Waynesboro Schools, Superintendent Dr. Jeff Cassell said Tuesday night that the next school year’s budget is the best he has seen for the school system.

The Waynesboro School Board approved the proposed 2024-2025 budget at its regular meeting Tuesday.

“I think it serves our division, our employees the best of any we’ve had,” Cassell added.

School Board Chair Debra Freeman applauded Cassell and staff for their work.

After Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s proposed budget for the Commonwealth in December 2023, the Virginia House and Virginia Senate proposed their own budgets, which both contained more funding for public schools. Youngkin’s budget included only a 1 percent raise for teachers, while the House and Senate versions proposed approximately 3 percent raises.

The Virginia General Assembly adopted a budget on Saturday, and Waynesboro Schools will receive at least $27,925,000 from the Commonwealth toward the 2024-2025 school year.

The school system’s proposed operating budget was $51,964,000 with approximately $2.9 million coming from the federal government and $1 million from Waynesboro, a little more than the school system received from the city for 2023-2024.

The school system will receive $231,000 for special education needs from the Commonwealth because Pygmalion School in Staunton closed in December. Waynesboro Schools will now provide the services on site.

“We would have been paying for those services at a third-party location,” Cassell said of the expense.

Several positions were added to the school system’s payroll for 2024-2025, including a school counselor who will divide their time between Berkeley Glenn and Wenonah elementary schools, a full-time secretary position at Wenonah and Reading Specialists at Kate Collins Middle School and William Perry Elementary School.

“I think the good news is in our salary line,” Cassell said.

The school system was able to provide 4 percent raises for teachers and staff.

“It is a balanced budget that we will take to the city [of Waynesboro],” Cassell said.