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Fairfax County leaders are making K-12 education funding their top demand for the 2026 Virginia General Assembly session, warning that the state still is not covering the true cost of its commitments to public schools.
“Number one is always K-12 education funding,” Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said during the county’s annual legislative public hearing Jan. 10 at the Fairfax County Government Center.
About 20 state senators and delegates attended the hearing ahead of the 60-day legislative session opening Jan. 14. McKay acknowledged that Virginia has increased education support but said substantial work remains.
School Board Chair Sandy Anderson delivered a similar message. She said outgoing Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s proposed budget includes improvements but falls short of what schools need to meet state requirements.
Anderson called for meaningful additional investments, including funding that accounts for cost-of-living differences across Virginia. She also expressed appreciation for the progress already made.
Federal Cuts and Affordability Add Pressure
Education led the county’s agenda, but McKay also urged lawmakers to address housing affordability, transit funding and the local effects of Trump administration actions.
Supervisor Andres Jimenez, the new chair of the board’s legislative committee, described those federal actions as having an immediate and profound effect in Fairfax County.
Jimenez said one of his former college roommates left Virginia with his family last year after both he and his wife lost their federal positions. He warned that departures to more affordable communities represent both lost jobs and a broader “brain drain.”
He urged state and local leaders to work together, saying neither level of government can respond alone. Anderson likewise called for flexibility during what she described as an extremely volatile period.
Jimenez succeeded James Walkinshaw as legislative committee chair after Walkinshaw was elected to Congress in September.
Democrats See an Opening—and a Warning
Fairfax County’s entire General Assembly delegation, nine of its 10 supervisors and all 12 School Board members are Democrats. The party also won all three statewide offices in the November election and secured a commanding House of Delegates majority.
That gives Democrats an opportunity in 2026 to revisit legislation vetoed by Youngkin during his four-year term. Fairfax officials urged lawmakers to act on the mandate they received from voters.
County leaders also acknowledged that progress will require alliances beyond Northern Virginia. McKay identified transit as one issue that demands a statewide coalition and dedicated funding streams for operations.
Del. Vivian Watts, who chaired the hearing, praised the cooperative approach of Fairfax officials but cautioned against expecting too much from the coming session.
“We have challenging issues ahead of us,” Watts said.