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Fairfax County and school leaders are seeking a united front in Richmond as they try to close a $43.8 million gap between the school system’s funding request and the county executive’s proposed transfer.

The difference represents about 1% of Fairfax County Public Schools’ proposed $4.1 billion budget for fiscal year 2027. Still, School Board Chair Sandy Anderson said at a Feb. 24 budget work session that the spending plan would not work without the additional money.

Anderson urged the Board of Supervisors and School Board to press General Assembly members together, saying Fairfax leaders must be vocal about needing state assistance.

The approach marks a shift from last year, when supervisors and School Board members repeatedly clashed over education funding. Supervisors ultimately approved less money than Superintendent Michelle Reid had requested, siding with County Executive Bryan Hill’s recommendation.

This year, leaders on both boards appear more interested in directing their pressure toward the state.

Board of Supervisors Chair Jeff McKay called the difference a small gap and said seeking help from Richmond was reasonable. He argued that county and school officials represent the same residents and must speak with one voice.

McKay also cautioned that FCPS cannot be insulated from the financial pressures facing the rest of county government. In difficult economic conditions, he said, the school system must also make sacrifices.

State lawmakers are working to reconcile the House and Senate versions of Virginia’s two-year budget legislation, a process that could last weeks or months. Sully District School Board member Seema Dixit, who chairs the board’s budget committee, expressed hope that the negotiations would produce the roughly $43 million Fairfax is seeking.

Tensions surface over lobbying

Although much of the 90-minute meeting was cordial, disagreements emerged over whether School Board members were lobbying state officials as forcefully as supervisors.

Mason District Supervisor Andres Jimenez, chair of the supervisors’ legislative committee, asked School Board members for concrete examples of their advocacy in Richmond.

Hunter Mill District representative Melanie Meren responded that members were doing the work. Mason District representative Ricardy Anderson said the board has actively pursued increased support based on a 2023 study by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission.

That study concluded that Virginia’s formulas for estimating public-school funding and staffing needs leave local divisions with less funding per student than the national and regional averages and levels in Maryland, Kentucky and West Virginia.

Implementing all of the study’s recommendations would bring FCPS an additional $568.7 million in state funding, Anderson said, although Fairfax’s local funding obligation would rise by more than $1 billion.

She noted that Fairfax is only one of Virginia’s 133 school boards and said its advocacy has produced some successes, though members want more progress.

Dranesville District School Board member Robyn Lady warned against reviving the local blame game. She said Northern Virginia’s delegation understands the region’s unmet education needs, but broader alliances are needed to persuade lawmakers from elsewhere in the commonwealth.

Enrollment and staffing face scrutiny

Several supervisors also questioned rising administrative staffing and continued school construction while the district reports declining enrollment.

Franconia District School Board member Marcia St. John-Cunning responded that fewer students do not necessarily mean lower demands, arguing that student needs have increased despite the enrollment decline.

Fairfax’s budget process will continue until May 5, when supervisors are expected to adopt the fiscal 2027 spending plan, establish tax rates and decide the county’s transfer to FCPS.

McKay said the boards still have time to make those decisions—and to persuade Richmond to help close the gap.