Fairfax County voters will decide on the Nov. 3 general election ballot whether to approve $232.6 million of bonds for the Fairfax County public school system.
The referendum includes $50 million for a new middle school, $40.8 million for additions to eight elementary schools and one middle school, $114 million for renovations, and $26.3 million for infrastructure improvements.
The Fairfax public school system, Virginia’s largest and the 12th largest in the county, is expecting a budget deficit of $176 million, according to a school board and county Board of Supervisors fiscal forecast presented on Sept. 29.
Fairfax plugged a budget deficit for fiscal 2010 with $42 million of federal stimulus funds. Still, the district spent $442 less per pupil in fiscal 2010. Fairfax superintendent Jack Dale is expected to release a fiscal 2011 budget proposal in early January.
Fairfax school officials said earlier this month that they are considering applying for a portion of the state’s allocation of qualified school construction bonds. The district has already included energy efficiency projects in its capital improvement program, a spokesperson said.
Gov. Tim Kaine stipulated that QSCB allocations must be spent on energy efficiency improvements, and not for new construction projects.
Last year, Fairfax County voters approved a bond referendum for $77 million of park improvements. In 2007, voters passed a referendum for $365 million of school bonds.
