Henrico School Board adopts budget with staff pay raises; End to required SAT testing could diversify college applicants
Hello, and welcome to another edition of Henrico Education Weekly!
This week, I took a look at the new adopted budget for Henrico County Public Schools. I also wrote about the expected impacts of higher education institutions dropping the requirement for students to submit SAT or ACT scores. And, I started a new section in which I profile someone in the Henrico education world each week.
PAY RAISES COMING SOON
The Henrico School Board voted unanimously on Thursday night to adopt a $762.9 million operating budget for the fiscal year starting July 1.
The Henrico Board of Supervisors added $20.4 million to the school district’s recommended budget last month, which will provide a 5% salary increase for most employees.
The adopted budget includes a 2.6% wage increase across the board for everyone, and a one-step increase of 2.4% for returning employees. (Temporary and substitute staff are typically paid the hourly rate associated with step one of a given pay grade, so they will not see a step increase.) Returning employees’ salaries will increase by a compounded 5%.
Henrico School Board adopts $762.9M budget with 5% raises for staff
AN END TO TESTING
There are now more higher education institutions in the U.S. with test-optional admissions than those that still require students to submit SAT or ACT scores.
Among those institutions that shifted its policies in 2020 are Virginia Tech, the University of Virginia and the University of Richmond.
The changes spurred on by COVID-19 created a national experiment, and advocates of the test-optional approach say the results will galvanize universities to make the change permanent.
Most colleges continue to bypass standardized testing for applicants; advocates say it could stick and increase diversity
SAYING GOODBYE TO MR. BUS DRIVER
For the first 55 years of his life, Campbell Gravatt showed his family tough love.
But his hard exterior seemed to melt when he decided to become a school bus driver for Henrico County Public Schools 15 years ago.
When he came home from work, he had a smile on his face that his family had never seen before, his daughter, Kasi Conor, said.
Being Mr. Bus Driver wasn’t just a job for Gravatt. It saved his life, his wife said.
He drove the bus until he was told that he couldn’t drive anymore.
(Gravatt died after this story’s publication on Monday.)
Being ‘Mr. Bus Driver’ wasn’t just a job
CRIME ON CAMPUS
A Varina High School student was arrested Thursday after school staff allegedly saw him with a handgun on school campus.
The teenage boy is charged with possession of a firearm on school property, a concealed weapon, and underage possession of a gun.
The arrest comes as county leaders are beginning to work on a task force to address the increase in youth violence in the community.
Police: Varina High student brought gun to campus
IN BRIEF
Henrico Schools named a national leader in music education for 23rd straight year
Glen Allen HS grad named 2nd Battalion commander at VMI
ECPI University to award more than $55k in nursing scholarships in May
Henrico Schools to receive money for CTE equipment
NEW SECTION
I have a new weekly section called Profiles in Henrico Education that comes out every Monday. This week’s story was about Campbell Gravatt, who worked as a school bus driver with HCPS for 15 years.
Do you know someone in public or private education in Henrico County who deserves to be profiled in this section? It could be a student, teacher, custodian, ect. E-mail me at anna@henricocitizen.com to tell me your ideas.
That’s all for this week! Thanks for reading.
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