PORTSMOUTH, Va. – Portsmouth Public Schools announced Thursday that the Portsmouth School Board approved a $192.9 million budget plan that would provide a two percent staff raise and provide more security officers.
The plan relies on about $2.3 million in additional funding from the City of Portsmouth. These funds would cover the $1.9 million needed for a two percent raise for employees and would provide $400,00 for at least nine school security officers needed for a 19-officer staffing increase.
Superintendent Dr. Elie Bracy III and his team cut and re-purposed about $1 million in internal expenses to cover several instructional and security initiatives. The school division is also projecting a $600,000 revenue increase, mostly from state sales tax.
With these changes, the school division can add the following:
- 1 career and technical education teacher
- 15 Kindergarten Instructional Assistants
- A Churchland High Graduation Coach
- 3 Middle School Math Coaches
- 2 Assistant Principals due to school population size
- 2 School Counselors due to school population size
- 1 Social Studies Interventionist
- 1 Auxiliary Services Director
- 10 School Security Officers (as part of a 19-officer staffing plan)
The budget will now go to the city manager, who will then make a recommendation to the city council. City council is expected to vote on the budget in May, and the school board will adopt a final budget after the vote.