Newsroom

YCSDigest - February 14, 2023

FY24 Superintendent's Proposed Annual Budget

Superintendent Dr. Victor Shandor has released his budget proposal for the 2024 fiscal year, beginning July 1, 2023. During Monday night’s School Board Work Session, the superintendent shared the work undertaken to develop this budget proposal, including a review of every position and line item in the FY23 budget.

A primary focus continues to be the recruitment and retention of highly effective talent across the division. The budget includes an average 5% salary increase for all employees, which could increase if the General Assembly approves funding for an additional 2% increase.

"Our team members not only comprise the majority of our budget, but they are also the heart and soul of our schools and our organization," stated Dr. Shandor. "As we face ongoing vacancies, our teachers, administrators, and support staff have been stepping up, and in, to fill these roles. Their hard work and dedication to our students and our community is inspiring.​"

Investing in safety measures is also a primary priority in the superintendent’s proposal. Twelve school security officer positions have been added to support our school administrators and School Resource Officers. “It's essential we provide safe, secure and caring learning environments for our students and staff so they can focus on the high quality and engaging educational experiences designed to prepare our students to be college, career and life ready graduates,” added Dr. Shandor.

​More than 75% of the division’s operating fund is targeted at instruction. Critical investments at the school levels, such as school counselors and job coaches, support the division’s commitment to preparing every student to be a future ready graduate.

The FY24 Superintendent’s Proposed Budget totals $181.9 million, a net increase of $9.1 million or 5.3% over the approved FY23 Operating Budget. A public hearing on the FY24 Operating Budget will take place during the regular monthly meeting of the School Board on Monday, February 27 at 7 p.m., at York Hall.

School Safety

The York County School Division and the York Poquoson Sheriff’s Office (YPSO) are pleased to announce a new initiative to support school safety at the elementary level. Students, staff, and families will see an increased law enforcement presence at our elementary schools through the remainder of this school year.

Patrol deputies are working within each school zone to be both inside and outside our elementary schools during the school day and evening events as needed. These increased patrols are not in response to any specific safety matter, but part of the ongoing partnership between YCSD and YPSO. The division has budgeted funds to support this initiative for the next school year as well.

2023-24 Calendar Development

During Monday night's School Board Work Session, division staff shared an update on the work underway by the division’s calendar committee to prepare a calendar recommendation for the 2023-24 school year. The division conducted a stakeholder survey in January to gain feedback on priorities identified by the committee. An overview of the survey results was included in the presentation, which is available online as part of the meeting agenda.

Staff reported both committee and stakeholder survey identified priorities of scheduling a 10-day Winter Break for students, to include three full weekends, and maintaining the shift to end the school year four days earlier (due to the shift to a pre-Labor Day start). However, achieving these within a 180-day calendar for 2023-24 are hampered by New Year’s Day falling on a Monday in 2024.

Board members requested additional information before a draft calendar is presented to the Board for consideration in March.

Transportation Alerts

Over the last several weeks, the division has shifted responsibility for late bus notifications from individual schools to the transportation department. This has improved our ability to communicate bus delays for morning routes, a concern families have shared with the division.

As unavoidable bus delays occasionally occur, notifications are limited to instances in which a route is running at 15 minutes beyond the normal schedule. As a reminder, the division encourages students to arrive at their bus stop at least 10 minutes prior to the designated stop time.

For questions or concerns related to transportation notifications, please contact the Transportation department.

Rycor Payment Notifications

YCSD uses Rycor, a secure, streamlined platform, which enables families to complete forms and make payments online. This program allows families to pay for student activity fees for multiple students in one place. As the division and schools have expanded use of this platform, we have received feedback regarding a lack of notification for fees listed in Rycor accounts.

Beginning next week, the division will schedule weekly emails similar to lunch account balance and student attendance alerts. Families will receive notices if any fees have been added to their student accounts or remain unpaid in the accounts.

Instructional Materials Review

The Instruction Department will hold a public review of the instructional materials recommended for adoption by the school division. These materials may include physical textbooks, eBooks, and any additional electronic resources. The purchasing of these materials will depend on funding. The public may review the materials on February 23-24 from 1-5 p.m. at the school board office. If you would like to participate, please contact Sonja Zadel to schedule your time. Textbook adoption and purchase is subject to legal review and board approval.

• AP Biology
• AP Environmental Science
• Atmospheric Science
• English 9-12
• Environmental Science
• Health & PE K-10
• Marine Science
• Science K-5

Community Announcements

The York County School Division offers local businesses and organizations the opportunity to share information with students and parents regarding educational/enrichment activities, events and opportunities, which are either available to YCSD students or support division programs. These flyers are neither sponsored nor endorsed by the York County School Division or the schools, but are made available as a community service for our families.

Community announcements can also be found on the division website and each school's website.