The Arlington School Board has pushed back a final budget vote to give officials time to finish crunching numbers.
The vote on the budget is now scheduled to happen on Thursday, May 15 as leaders determine the effects of recent funding decisions at the state level.
“That has not happened yet, so we are not going to do that tonight,” Board Chair Mary Kadera said of budget adoption at a May 1 meeting.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin had until May 2, the day after the School Board meeting, to make his final decisions on budget matters.
Decisions at the national level are also affecting Arlington Public Schools, which is bracing for the impact of tariffs on everything from copier paper to construction projects.
“It certainly could have an effect on us going forward, just like it will for all Americans,” said Andy Hawkins, the new APS business officer.
Some school systems are starting to feel the impact of tariffs “across lots of areas,” she said.
For now, “it is a little too early to tell” what the impact will be, Superintendent Francisco Durán said.
“We are monitoring that closely,” he said.
On capital projects currently underway, such as the future Grace Hopper Center (the new Arlington Career Center), any additional costs related to international trade battles likely would be the responsibility of the contractor.
“We don’t anticipate tariffs impacting us at this time,” said Hawkins, who received his new title — business officer — in a recent central-office reorganization. He will be in charge of all APS financial matters.
If the Trump administration’s tariff wars continue, they could have a major impact on the development of the school system’s next capital-improvement program, Durán told School Board members.
‘Honored Citizens’ celebrated: School Board members on May 1 honored four community members for exceptional, long-term service in support of local students.
Maria Lucia Guarachi, Jennifer Landis-Santos, Claire Noakes and the late Dr. Stephen Mamber were recognized as “Honored Citizens” for 2025, joining a roster going back to 1975.
“These individuals that we’re recognizing tonight have demonstrated a sustained and intensive commitment to our schools,” Kadera said, “strengthening the partnerships that bind our community together.”
To be selected, individuals must have provided volunteer service to the school system and students for at least 5 years and “go above and beyond what might reasonably be expected” in supporting youth in the community.
Kadera said the four honorees were part of a large contingent of community members who support the school system and its students.
“We deeply value the contributions of all of our volunteers” who “quietly and humbly make a difference,” she said.
