New Kent School Board approves proposed FY19-20 budget

New Kent School Board members unanimously approved a $35,026,270 budget for the FY2019-2020 school year at Monday night’s meeting.

With the growing population in the school system, the approved budget is an increase of nearly $1.9 million from last year’s budget. The projected budget is adding six new teaching positions and one school counselor position, totaling $501,176. Other support positions being added to for the upcoming cycle totals $186,451.

The county’s contribution towards schools is expected to be $14,234,595 for the new fiscal year. Board of supervisor members are expected to adopt their budget at the Apr. 24 work session.

In another school board matter, an addition to Bridging Communities Career and Technical Center is currently being looked at for new classroom space.

Superintendent of schools Dave Myers presented a diagram that showed an overlay for a new Diesel Tech/Lab garage at the school. The addition would be placed at the southern side of the current building, adjacent to the current entrance of Bridging Communities.

Myers commented that requirements from the state to keep the program certified required that the facility provides them adequate space for instruction. He also commented that it was brought to the attention about three years ago and the school was provided a five-year window to address the issue. With two years remaining, Myers indicated that he has been in talks with superintendents of other schools to get the project started.