HARRISONBURG, VA (Rocktown Now) — The Harrisonburg School Board did not vote on the proposed budget during last night’s meeting.

This is due to the General Assembly not yet reaching a budget, which will not be expected until June.

The budget was originally going to be passed as is, with the recommended proposal being added if they were to receive the additional state revenue.

Superintendent Dr. Michael Richards said during discussion that it is difficult and he doesn’t think state leaders realize how difficult it is.

“We really need to raise the pay of instructional assistants significantly, and we have a plan to do it,” said Dr. Richards. “But we need them to make their decisions and finalize their budget. And it’s torturous for us to sit here and have to tell our instructional assistants, ‘Keep waiting, keep waiting. Oh, by the way, we had to pass a budget without that raise in it.'”

The school board will continue to discuss the proposal at the next work session.