LYNCHBURG, Va. – Lynchburg City Council decided to table whether the school division will receive an additional $2 million to operate next school year.
City Manager Bonnie Sverck said the money would have been come from the $7 million the city is expected to get next month from the state to help with COVID-19 aid and relief.
In a work session meeting Tuesday night, city leaders went back and forth and decided to keep the school at a level-funding budget with $39.8 million and not add any more to it.
Karl Loos, president of the Lynchburg Education Association said the $2 million would have helped with teacher salary increases they fought so hard to get last year.
“Hope is definitely not lost. Frustrations exist but hope is not lost. We're still hopeful. We're still determined. We're going to make it work,” Loos said.
City council will discuss the school budget again in October once they have a better idea of how school operations will like because of the pandemic.
City council hopes to have the final budget approved by mid-June.