LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. — After losing millions in funding from the school district's FY 2024 budget due to a state funding error, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors decided to step in.
A spokesperson for the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) told WUSA9 that they learned in January that a calculation tool on the department's website was providing inflated estimates of state funding to school divisions.
Officials say the error resulted in a $13 million gap in the budget for the Loudoun County school system.
According to county officials, the Board of Supervisors increased the Loudoun County Public Schools FY 2024 Operating Fund budget to fill the $13 million gap. The funds will be used to fill any gap left if the state does not provide any funds to make up for the error.
"If not resolved, the Board will provide up to $13 million of FY 2023 year-end fund balance to LCPS," a release reads.
Additionally, the Board of Supervisors allowed some flexibility for how the funds will be used depending on whether the state makes up the shortfall or leaves the entire gap.
If the Virginia Department of Education is able to provide a portion of the $13 million state revenue shortfall, the Board will accept it in the FY 2024 LCPS Operating Fund and provide the remaining shortfall to LCPS using FY 2023 year-end fund balance. However, if the state covers the entire $13 million shortfall, the Board will not need to appropriate any of its own year-end fund balance.