Rockingham County school leaders will make their case to commissioners Friday for more local funding after the county manager proposed keeping the district’s budget flat.
RCS officials are asking the board for an $8 million bump to make up for drops in state funding and higher operational costs. The district lost $3 million in state funding because enrollment decreased by 145 students. At the same time, utility and building maintenance costs have gone up.
County Manager Lance Metzler’s proposal doesn't include any increases for the district. He told commissioners that maintaining low costs countywide was a priority.
“Our guiding principles were to present a fiscally responsible budget with no tax increase, maintain a competitive pay structure, identify ways to improve employee retention and to continually develop and implement the capital improvement plan," he said.
School district leaders will lay out their needs at the county’s budget workshop, which starts at 9 a.m. The plan must be finalized before July 1.