n LOUDOUN
4 | n POLITICS
8 | n EDUCATION
12 | n PUBLIC NOTICES
28 | n OBITUARIES
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HOME IMPROVEMENT PAGES 20–23
VOL. 8, NO. 18
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MARCH 23, 2023
School Funding Uncertainty Hangs Over County Budgets BY RENSS GREENE
rgreene@loudounnow.com
Renss Greene/Loudoun Now
Loudoun Hunger Relief President and CEO Jennifer Montgomery breaks through a wall in the nonprofit’s project to expand into a larger space hosting a hub of human services nonprofits on Monday, March 20.
Loudoun Hunger Breaks Wall on Human Services Hub BY RENSS GREENE
rgreene@loudounnow.com
As the nonprofit prepares to grow its space into a hub for human services nonprofits, Loudoun Hunger Relief held a wall-breaking—rather than ground-breaking—ceremony Monday, March 20. After years of effort and planning, work is underway to build a nonprofit hub bringing together some of the most
essential services for people and families in need: Loudoun Hunger Relief, Loudoun Literacy Council, Loudoun Volunteer Caregivers, Crossroads Jobs, and the Loudoun Education Foundation. The Loudoun Humane Society, while not locating offices in the new hub, will continue supporting the pet pantry inside Loudoun Hunger Relief. “We don’t stand alone. We stand with everyone in this room and with everyone who isn’t in this room, who has been
shoulder to shoulder with us, dedicated to partnership and collaboration for the great good,” Loudoun Hunger Relief President and CEO Jennifer Montgomery said. “Here’s what I know for sure: this pandemic demonstrated the need for community-centered innovation, and that we are better together.” The new 13,500-square-foot space will
County supervisors wrapped up budget talks Thursday night with a one and a half cent cut to the real estate tax rate and $3 million more added to the Loudoun County Public Schools budget. Supervisors landed on a real estate tax rate of 87.5 cents per $100 of assessed value, down from last year’s 89 cents. For the average homeowner, their tax bill will still go up, because of climbing assessments. But uncertainty around a state funding shortfall still hangs over the school budget. Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration and the General Assembly have yet to fill a funding gap created by a Virginia Department of Education error, and instead have compounded it. The Youngkin administration’s error resulted in $7.4 million less for Loudoun County Public Schools in fiscal year 2024 than the district had been advised to expect. The General Assembly’s “skinny budget” adopted in February filled that shortfall for the current fiscal year 2023, but did not address the shortfall for fiscal year 2024, and additional changes to
LOUDOUN HUNGER continues on page 38
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COUNTY BUDGETS continues on page 39
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