The Roanoke City Public School Board will vote Tuesday on a budget that would balance out a $16 million shortfall by eliminating an estimated 150 staff positions and cutting student programs, transportation services and other operations.
The city council approved a new school funding policy in January, as the city grapples with its own budget shortfalls.
The new funding policy means the division will get less money than it was accustomed to receiving, and less than it says it needs, even as the overall amount that the division is receiving annually is still expected to increase over time as city revenues increase. The division will also not be able to rely on its fund balance to cover a shortfall, which it did last year to avoid $10 million in cuts. The division’s general fund budget for this fiscal year is $272 million, and the city’s contribution is $106.9 million…