As a resident of Chesterfield County Virginia I want to give my support to the current Chesterfield County Public School (CCPS) 2020 budget proposal and advocate to the Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors to approve the ‘Needs Based Budget‘ for Chesterfield County Schools for Non-Discretionary, Discretionary, and initiative budget requirements.

CCPS is an award-winning school system that is growing and becoming more diverse at a much faster rate than our approved budgets over the last ten years. The previous CCPS annual budgets approved by the Chesterfield County Board Of Supervisors did not fully address the previous and current CCPS increased demands for staffing and student services. The 2020 CCPS budget approval must provide the funding needed for non-discretionary, discretionary (staffing and student services) and future initiatives to satisfy projected requirements in Chesterfield County. We understand that budget trade offs occur, but we advocate for a significant and impactful increased funding level to invest in the CCPS. The return on investment in education will pay off for the County and its residents.

CCPS is currently fully accredited, but the ‘warning signs’ (declining SOL scores, decreased reporting group performance) have been identified and documented. The $39.7 million CCPS funding gap between the budget and revenue must be addressed and the current economic growth and value of Chesterfield County should provide the means necessary to meet the needs of the Chesterfield County Public School System.