From a press release
The Arlington community is invited to a series of forums on the FY 2011 Arlington Public Schools budget. The forums will be held at the Education Center Board Room (1426 N. Quincy St.) on Saturday Nov. 14, 9a.m.
APS Superintendent Dr. Patrick K. Murphy recently reported that the school division is facing a budget shortfall this year of $11.1 million and that additional budget savings of $47.4 million will need to be realized in the next budget.
Murphy announced last week that APS is instituting a hiring freeze for all non-classroom positions. He also directed that training courses at venues outside the county be curtailed, and that only courses where APS has a compelling business reason to attend will be approved. Overtime is also being reduced, and is permitted only to address emergencies outside of normal business hours.
Murphy has indicated that any personnel reductions this year would take place through attrition, and in a memo to the APS staff, he indicated that the school division "will undertake a very thorough and very thoughtful review of any personnel changes that we may need to take to meet next year's budget shortfall."
The purpose of the budget forums is to provide community members and APS staff with an opportunity to provide suggestions on efficiencies the school division can undertake as it seeks to address the budget shortfall for the next budget year. The ideas from the budget forums will be reviewed by the APS Senior Staff as it begins putting together the Superintendent's Proposed Budget, which will be unveiled in February.
Anyone who is interested in providing feedback on the FY 2011 budget but cannot attend the forums will be able to complete a budget survey online later this week at www.apsva.us/budget.
For more information, call 703-228-6004.
