Williamsburg-James City County school administrators trimmed their upcoming budget by another $4.56 million this week, but it’s still not enough to balance the budget.
Depending on the final state contribution, the school board was told Tuesday night, schools would need from $815,000 to $2 million more to balance the operating budget for the fiscal year that begins in July. Their capital budget also faces a shortfall of $4.2 million, the school’s budget chief said.
The schools asked for a double digit increase from local taxpayers to fund their initial $197 million budget, which included raises for teachers to bring their pay more in line with what other localities pay. School enrollment has been flat at around 11,300 students for several years, but administrators said the population of students who need extra support – from those who are economically disadvantaged to those who are learning English – had grown significantly.
James City County, where the majority of students live, provide…