Finance

The York County School Division has two primary budgets. The annual Operating Budget provides for the day-to-day operations and maintenance of our schools, personnel, and programs. The Capital Improvement Program (CIP) budget addresses facility needs.

Funding for schools comes from three sources: local, state and federal, with the majority of the funding coming from local revenue. Efficient operations are a priority for YCSD, and the division has been recognized as one of the most cost-efficient school systems in Virginia. The YCSD Annual Budget has earned numerous awards both the Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO) and the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA).

Annual Operating Budget

Preparing and adopting the annual operating budget is a complex and detailed process, involving multiple funding sources and numerous budget categories. The first stage of budget cycle begins in the early fall, with the final stage typically ending in May each school year.

Budget Process

YCSD takes a collaborative approach to developing the operating budget, involving school administrators, department administrators, community stakeholders, the chief financial officer, the superintendent and the School Board in the development process.

Stage One: Assessing Needs

Stage Two: Alignment

Stage Three: Budget Development

Stage Four: Budget Approval

The School Board reviews the superintendent's proposal and accepts community feedback through a public forum and a public hearing. The School Board then adopts a proposed budget which is sent to the county York County Board of Supervisors for consideration and allocation of funding.

Once the county budget is approved by the Board of Supervisors, the School Board adopts the final annual spending plan.

Operating Budget

Capital Improvement Program

Annual Comprehensive Financial Report

Per Pupil Expenditures

Annual Report of Expenditures

Annual report of expenditures is posted in compliance with HB 2269 passed by the 2009 General Assembly. The data reported here is based on Virginia Department of Education classifications used in the State's Annual School Report. These classifications may or may not be consistent with those used by the York County School Division in budgeting and financial documents. In addition, the state-report data does not include audit adjustments, if any.

Facilities Master Plan

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the school division's sources of revenue?

School divisions in Virginia receive state, local and federal funding. In York County, the majority of the annual budget comes from state revenue including state sales tax. The second largest funding source is York County. Over the past few years, the amount of money the School Division has received from the state is declining, putting more of the burden for funding education on our local taxpayers. Federal funding, which comprises the smallest portion of the division's funding courses, is derived primarily from Impact Aid.

How does the state determine funding levels for individual school divisions?

State revenue flows to the school division in a myriad of ways. The most predominant way is based on student average daily membership as applied to the funding provided by the state based on the Standards of Quality. Other methods used by the state to fund local education programs are the allocation of state sales tax, grants, and participation in regional educational programs.

The minimum level of state funding and local funding required is determined using the local composite index formula. The higher the LCI, the greater ability of the local government to pay for public education; this translates into the school division receiving less state revenue. York County has a higher LCI than most comparable school divisions in our region.

What about funds from the Virginia Lottery?

It's a common misnomer that the Virginia Lottery funds public education in Virginia. While it is true that the bulk of the profits from the Lottery are allocated for education funding, those profits do not come close to the amount required to support public education in the state. In addition, whatever lottery profits are directed to education, an equal amount of "general fund" tax dollars are subtracted from education; increased lottery sales does not equate to increased education funding.

What is the calendar for the budget process?

Date	Budget Process
August 24, 2026	School Board approval of the Budget Calendar
TBD	Community Input Sessions on FY28 operating budget
November 9, 2026	Presentation of the Six-Year Facility Master Plan
November 23, 2026	Public forum on FY28 Capital Improvements Program
TBD	Joint Meeting
December 14, 2026	Presentation of the Capital Improvement Development Committee Recommendations
December 14, 2026	Conduct Public Hearing on Recommended Capital Improvement Plan
January 11, 2027	School Board Prioritization of Capital Improvement Plan recommendations
January 25, 2027	Adoption of the School Board Capital Improvement Plan (CIP)
February 8, 2027	Pre-budget public forum on the FY28 operating budget
February 22, 2027	Presentation of Superintendent’s Proposed Operating Budget to School Board
March 8, 2027	Conduct Public Hearings on Proposed Operating Budget
March 22, 2027	Approval of the School Board Proposed Operating Budget
May 10, 2027	Approval of FY28 School Board Budget and Capital Improvement Plan (CIP)
May 24, 2027	Adoption of the School Board Operating Budget

Dates subject to change

York County School Division

Understanding Impact Aid

Impact Aid Program, signed into law by President Harry Truman in 1950, is the nation's oldest K-12 Federal education program developed to reimburse school systems for the lost revenue and additional costs associated with the presence of nontaxable Federal property. This includes military installations, Indian Trust or Treaty lands, Federal low-rent housing facilities, national laboratories, national parks, and other Federal buildings or lands. The York County School Division is one of more than 1,200 school divisions eligible to receive Impact Aid Funds.

The division's annual operating budget is funded in large part by local revenue - primarily a combination of local property taxes on homes and businesses or other local fees. However, federally impacted school districts face limitations because Federal properties are tax exempt. Impact Aid compensates for this lost revenue.

The number and percentage of federally connected students enrolled in our schools is a critical factor in determining how much Impact Aid funding YCSD receives. A school district can receive Impact Aid funding if it has at least 400 federally connected students in its Average Daily Attendance (ADA), or at least 3% of all children in its ADA are federally connected. More than 30% of all students enrolled in YCSD are federally connected.

While Impact Aid funds are based on the number of enrolled students who are federally connected, the money becomes part of the school system's general operating budget and applies to all students. For example, funds support instructional materials, teacher salaries, transportation, and technology.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does federally connected mean?

Why do I have to complete these forms every year?

What information is collected?

For YCSD to receive Impact Aid, the Federal government requires we collect specific information to verify students are federally connected. For each student, this information includes both enrollment information (such as name, birth date and school) and residence and parent employment information (including, but not limited to, student address if on Federal property; name and address of the Federal property on which a parent is employed; and name, rank and branch of service of a parent who is a member of the uniformed services on active duty). The form must be signed and dated by the parent supplying the information.