HCPS budget faces uncertainties

System waiting on delayed action by General Assembly

By Deb and Joe Fitzgerald

Tuesday evening’s Harrisonburg City School Board meeting opened with principals from all secondary middle and high schools in the city honoring exemplary student athletes participating in winter sports. This was the second opportunity for the School Board and the community to appreciate special athletic accomplishments, as the division has moved to recognize student excellence in all areas, not just the traditional academically oriented subjects.

The board also heard a presentation on the system’s equity policies, addressed in a separate story.

Possibly the most consequential topic of the evening was a discussion and update on the superintendent’s 2027 fiscal year recommended budget, led by Executive Director of Finance Daniel Kirwan. As of April 7, there are no updates from the General Assembly as they are in recess until April 22nd. Because no action from the General Assembly means uncertainty about state revenue for HCPS, Kirwan proposes that the Board maintain the current FY27 budget until more is known about final funding. As a result, the city expects the adopted HCPS budget to be delivered in May.

In the meantime, the Board discussed some possible tentative adjustments to the budget based on an expected $200,000 decline in expected revenue due to other factors. It should be noted that any staff decreases would occur through attrition.

Some discussion followed about funding implications for raises, health insurance increases, and raises to Instructional assistant in response to Board member questions. No decisions made, and no votes taken; Board members were asked to continue to raise questions and pose alternatives.

Finally, these policy updates passed unanimously upon first reading:

Policy 666: Staff Weapons in Schools Updated as per VSBA’s second attempt to clarify language on this issue. Essentially, the policy states that unless the law specifically allows it, no one may have or use a firearm or other weapon on school property, including buildings, buses, vehicles, and school events—even in public spaces being used for school activities. The Superintendent (or a designee) is responsible for enforcing this rule in line with state law and only allowing weapons when the law clearly permits it. If an employee breaks this policy, they can face disciplinary action up to being fired, and illegal actions will be reported to law enforcement. Any such incidents must also be included in the Superintendent’s annual report.

Policy 667/751: Acceptable Computer System Use. Lives in both staff and student section. Required to be reviewed every 2 years. Some minor changes to align with VSBA. According to this policy, HCPS provides computers and internet access to support learning and school-related work, and using them is a privilege, not a right. All use must be appropriate and school-related, and activity may be monitored with no expectation of privacy. The Superintendent sets and updates rules to ensure safe, legal use, including blocking harmful content, protecting student information, and preventing misuse like hacking or sharing passwords. Violations can lead to loss of access, discipline, or legal action, and certain apps (like TikTok and WeChat) are banned on school-issued devices.

Policy 329: Authorized Use of School-Owned Property. For staff members. Have a separate process for community members. No substantive change, but note that A regulation is being created to accompany the policy that will provide greater detail. Regulations do not need board approval.