Fairfax School Deficit Of $3.5 Million Predicted
The Fairfax County School Board predicted a $3.5 million budget deficit yesterday, most of it attributable to higher energy costs.</br></br>The County Board of Supervisors, ' which met with the school board yester-. day, allocated $451*000 from a reserve fund to make up part of the shortfall. Then, after school board members said they were still alarmed, the supervisors voted to have the county executive explore ways of making up a large deficit.</br></br>Û¢The effect of such a deficit ÛÏcould be a real shocker,Û declared school board member Nancy Falck of the Dranesville District. ÛÏIt might entail the problem of paying teachersÛª salaries. It may involve charging a fee for textbooks ... we really have no idea of the extent of the problems.Û</br></br>The supervisors indicated that the schools will in any case have access to an additional $1.8 million county budget surplus if it is needed. But Board Chairman John F. Herrity said the prediction of a deficit is premature.</br></br>ÛÏEducation is one of the primary concerns of this county,ÛªÛª Herrity said, ÛÏbut we have to deal with hard facts and hard projections; and we wonÛªt have that until the mid-year school budget review in January.Û