The Gloucester County School Board unanimously adopted a fiscal year 2016 budget plan last Thursday that would require almost $1.3 million more in local funding than the current budget. The vote to approve the plan came early in a lengthy work session held at the T.C. Walker Education Center.

Although the FY 2016 county budget proposed by county administrator Brenda Garton calls for level local funding for schools at $22,765,728, school division superintendent Walter Clemons said the additional dollars are needed to open Page Middle School and return Peasley to a fully functioning middle school, and to provide increased compensation for teachers and staff.

School officials have estimated a cost of $595,636, minus a state revenue offset of $20,100, to staff and operate the new middle school that is slated to open in the fall. The compensation increase, averaging 2.06 percent for teachers and 2 percent for administrators and support staff, would cost $762,443, offset by $240,000 in sta...