February 14, 2024 Update:
Dear Families, Faculty, and Staff,
We hope you are having a great week. We are writing to share an important update with you on the progress of next year’s budget.
At its meeting last night,
the School Board took an important step in the budget process and unanimously approved the Fiscal Year 2025 budget, which Dr. Michael Gill, Superintendent of Schools, presented last month for consideration. The budget places a strong emphasis on investing in our amazing team of faculty and staff while also placing the highest priority on meeting the growing, unique, and complex needs of our students.
The School Board’s approved budget increases the proposed salary increase for all eligible employees from 3% to 4%, building on our unified commitment to care for those who care for our students.
Specifically, the approved budget includes the following:
- 4% salary increase for all eligible employees effective July 1
- Job family adjustments for our teachers with 25 or more years of experience, custodians, transportation staff, and food service staff
- Continued salary decompression and differentiation of instructional assistants
- Increasing bus driver starting pay to $23 per hour
- Funding to cover a significant portion of the increase to health insurance premiums for Calendar Year 2024
- 15 additional special education instructional assistants
- 10 additional special education teachers
- Two additional English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teachers
- One additional elementary reading specialist
- Four additional middle school core reading specialists
- One additional clinic assistant to support student medical needs
- Continuation of the electronic hall pass system in middle and high schools
- Continuation of student and staff supports implemented during the pandemic that warrant continuation, such as assigned substitutes, pay for teachers covering classes during planning periods, three senior teachers, and one math coach
- Three additional instructional assistants to support Cool Spring Elementary School
- A specific funding line item to address the increased enrollment at Cool Spring Elementary School
- Funding for Beaverdam Elementary School replacement rather than renovation
- Funding for a rebuild of Washington-Henry Elementary School
The approved budget will now be presented for consideration to the Board of Supervisors later this month.
The School Board is scheduled to adopt a budget in May after the Board of Supervisors adopts its budget. You can find Dr. Gill’s comprehensive letter to the School Board regarding the proposed budget
on our website.
Thank you for your continued commitment and support of excellence in education in our county.
Hanover County Public Schools
Original January 31, 2024 Message:
Dear Families,
I hope this email finds you well. At last night’s School Board meeting, I had the pleasure of introducing my proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2025.
During last night’s presentation, I was honored to share just a glimpse of the many accomplishments of our students, staff, and schools. As I often share, our schools are a direct reflection of our community and our community is strong. I am grateful for your support of our schools and your continued partnership. I am equally grateful for our dedicated faculty and staff who serve our students and you, our families, each day. Thank you for your trust, encouragement, and shared passion for top-tier schools.
Through a combination of strong local support and careful evaluation of our existing and projected resources, I am confident that this proposed budget once again places the highest priority on meeting the growing and complex needs of our students while continuing to show our gratitude to our outstanding faculty and staff who faithfully serve our students, families, and community.
Highlights of the proposed budget include the following:
- 3% salary increase for all eligible employees effective July 1
- Job family adjustments for our teachers with 25 or more years of experience, custodians, transportation staff, and food service staff
- Continued salary decompression and differentiation of instructional assistants
- Increasing bus driver starting pay to $23 per hour
- Funding to cover a significant portion of the increase to health insurance premiums for Calendar Year 2024
- 15 additional special education instructional assistants
- 10 additional special education teachers
- Two additional English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teachers
- One additional elementary reading specialist
- Four additional middle school core reading specialists
- One additional clinic assistant to support student medical needs
- Continuation of the electronic hall pass system in middle and high schools
- Continuation of student and staff supports implemented during the pandemic that warrant continuation, such as assigned substitutes, pay for teachers covering classes during planning periods, three senior teachers, and one math coach
- Three additional instructional assistants to support Cool Spring Elementary School
- Funding for Beaverdam Elementary School replacement rather than renovation
- Funding for a rebuild of Washington-Henry Elementary School
For a complete overview of my budget proposal, I encourage you to review my presentation from last night, which will be available
on BoardDocs by noon today. In the meantime, you can find my letter to the School Board regarding the proposed budget
on our website.
The School Board will hold a public hearing on the proposed budget on Tuesday, February 6 at 7 p.m. More details on the meeting will be shared later this week.
Pending the School Board’s review and approval of my proposed budget, I will present it to the Board of Supervisors in February for further consideration on the School Board’s behalf. The School Board is scheduled to adopt a budget in May after the Board of Supervisors adopts its budget. More detailed information about the timeline is included at the end of my presentation.
I believe this budget recognizes that we must continue to strategically build upon our current and past successes to ensure that our longstanding Tradition of Excellence continues. Through continued investment in our dedicated faculty and staff, providing additional supports to our students, and being fiscally responsible, we will uphold The Hanover Promise of preparing our students to be successful and life-ready by teaching them to be empowered learners, responsible citizens, globally engaged communicators, and resilient individuals.
With deepest appreciation,
Dr. Michael Gill
Superintendent of Schools