Spotsylvania County school board votes to approve revised budget following heated overnight meeting

SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. - A Spotsylvania County school budget battle that lasted into the early morning hours resulted in a vote to approve a revised budget.

FOX 5's Melanie Alnwick says the meeting wrapped up at 12:45 a.m. Tuesday. She says teacher positions, international baccalaureate and governor's school programs were saved.

The alarming proposal made by Superintendent Mark Taylor in March to eliminate school libraries was not on the table. The Spotsylvania Education Association noted that it wasn't even a legal option.

"it's a cruel proposal, some people of hypothesized that it was a political move, to try to get more money out of the board of supervisors. If it was, it was unnecessary and cruel," said Melissa Brace, the vice president of the Spotsylvania Education Association.

Some other very important items were on the block for school board members to make some tough decisions on, Alnwick reported. They wanted to add new special education support staff, more para-educators and speech pathologists. They also wanted to increase nursing staff, custodians, psychologists and social workers, and add updated AP text books.

Board members also wanted to add new middle school science and English curriculums. Many felt cuts to administrative and executive budget items should come before education cuts.

Many of the cuts are actually a reduction in proposed new items. The County Board of Supervisors did vote to give the school $11 million from new tax revenue.

By the end of the meeting the board voted to approve a revised budget with the hope that Virginia will send more funds in July. Alnwick says the provisional budget is being drafted.