The Gloucester School Board decided last Thursday to continue to make the opening of the new Page Middle School a priority and to delay an increase in employee wages.

The board had sought an additional $1,272,008 in fiscal year 2016 local funding to open Page and provide about a 2 percent raise for all employees. Giving the raise would bring the division about $235,000 in additional state funds.

County supervisors initially did not grant the request for additional funding and instead left the school division budget with the same amount of local dollars as the current fiscal year. After supervisors adopted the county budget for FY2016, school officials went back to the board with a plea for a supplemental appropriation of $482,825. In response, supervisors approved a $413,704 supplement.

Last Thursday, school division superintendent Walter Clemons presented the school board two options for its final FY2016 budget adjustments. One would give a 1.5 percent pay increase beginning in Jan...