UPDATED: Manassas Park Schools to get $250,000 From State, Enacts Bullying Prevention Month

Manassas Park City Schools are expected to receive an additional $250,000 in state funding, the school board learned at its meeting on Monday.

Virginia provides funding based on the school system’s ADM (average daily membership), or average number of students attending on a daily basis, according to Krista Kelly, Manassas Park Schools’ financial director. 

Manassas Park has about 2,857 students attending, and if those levels are kept, about $250,000 will be given in increments through the end of the school year. The schools were originally budgeted with an ADM of about 3,000, so they will receive slightly less than originally anticipated. 

“Even though we have an increase in the amount that we believe will be receiving based on our budget, the amount we’ll actually be receiving will be less, but it will be less less,” Kelly said after the meeting.

The $250,000 figure is estimated by the Virginia Department of Education  in response to the release of Governor Bob McDonnell’s fiscal year 2013-2014 budget, according to Kelly. The money will be approved with the budget in 2012.

Areas the money can be spent include construction costs and increased funding for special education, Kelly said.

Kelly also said the schools over spent less than $100,000 or a little more than 3 percent of the budget.  This is not out of the ordinary, she said.

The school system had to hire a long-term substitute after one teacher took long-term leave to have a child, she added. 

“The biggest spike was that we had a new order of fuel that will last a long time,” Kelly said. “The fuel was more expensive and that cost us $10,000 in the last month.”

The School Board also unanimously passed a resolution to observe the Virginia Schools Boards Association’s Bullying Prevention Month in January, which aims to discuss bullying and its prevention in schools and classrooms.

School Board Chairman Michael D. Wine said he was interested in a program used by Martinsville City Schools that allowed students to report behaviors or incidents they felt were wrong.

“They caught several kids with pictures of themselves and firearms, which they wanted to address,” Wine said.

The Board has four upcoming community input sessions: Jan. 9 in Manassas Park High School, Jan. 12 in the Pre-K Building, Jan. 21 in the Manassas Park Community Center, and Jan. 23 in the School Board Meeting Room in city hall. 

The board meets the third Monday of every month in city hall at 7 p.m. The next meeting is Jan. 23.