IWCS OKs $70 million budget

Published 5:32 pm Friday, March 19, 2021

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Isle of Wight County’s School Board has approved a $70.68 million budget for the 2021-2022 fiscal year.

Steve Kepnes, the division’s executive director of budget and finance, told the board that since the budgeting process began earlier this year, Isle of Wight schools expect to receive about $915,000 more from the state.

Kepnes said the budget approved by the board March 11 does not include requests for additional county funding.

Virginia’s public school divisions are funded through a combination of federal, state and local money. Student enrollment also determines in part how much money local schools get, Superintendent Jim Thornton told the board earlier this year.

The division expects $36.35 million in total state revenue, $27.2 million in county funding, $5.58 in federal funding and about $1.5 million in fee-generated money from various sources. Some of the division’s expenditures include $51.52 million for instructional services, $4.3 million for student transportation, $2 million for child nutrition and $2.5 million for technology.

Following the board’s unanimous approval, the school budget will now be presented to the county administrator. Kepnes and Assistant Superintendent Michael Lombardo led the budget discussions with the school board, as Thornton was absent from the March 11 meeting.

“[Thornton’s] absence was not due to COVID-19,” division spokeswoman Lynn Briggs said in an email. “We don’t have a definite date of return but he is keeping updated on and involved in division matters while he is away from the office.”