A. It shall be the duty of each division superintendent to prepare, with the approval of the school board, and submit to the governing body or bodies appropriating funds for the school division, by the date specified in § 15.2-2503, the estimate of the amount of money deemed to be needed during the next fiscal year for the support of the public schools of the school division. The estimate shall set up the amount of money deemed to be needed for each major classification prescribed by the Board of Education and such other headings or items as may be necessary.

Upon preparing the estimate of the amount of money deemed to be needed during the next fiscal year for the support of the public schools of the school division, each division superintendent shall also prepare and distribute, within a reasonable time as prescribed by the Board of Education, notification of the estimated average per pupil cost for public education in the school division for the coming school year in accordance with the budget estimates provided to the local governing body or bodies. Such notification shall also include actual per pupil state and local education expenditures for the previous school year. The notice may also include federal funds expended for public education in the school division.

The notice shall be made available in a form provided by the Department of Education and shall be published on the school division's website or in hard copy upon request. To promote uniformity and allow for comparisons, the Department of Education shall develop a form for this notice and distribute such form to the school divisions for publication.

B. Before any school board gives final approval to its budget for submission to the governing body, the school board shall hold at least one public hearing to receive the views of citizens within the school division. A school board shall cause public notice to be given at least 10 days prior to any hearing by publication in a newspaper having a general circulation within the school division. The passage of the budget by the local government shall be conclusive evidence of compliance with the requirements of this section.

Code 1950, §§ 22-120.3, 22-120.5; 1959, Ex. Sess., c. 79, § 1; 1980, c. 559; 1986, c. 282; 1994, cc. 453, 788; 2011, c. 216; 2012, cc. 805, 836.