In what was anticipated to be a short budget work session to approve the final schools budget for fiscal year 2023, the Gloucester School Board members were deadlocked last Thursday night in the T.C. Walker Education Center Auditorium, resulting in three failed motions before a consensus was reached after nearly two and a half hours of discussion.

The budget received preliminary approval by both the school board and board of supervisors this spring ($78,269,998), but a final budget could not be approved until the General Assembly adopted the state budget.

Gloucester County Public Schools has additional operational funding available from the state in the amount of $285,866 with the recommendation of using the funding for safety in the form of school resource officers and other security measures.

“Having a school resource officer in all of our schools has been a part of our division’s comprehensive plan for a number of years,” said division superintendent Dr. Walter Clemons.

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