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Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Michelle Reid is asking the county for an additional $268.3 million in fiscal year 2026, largely to fund a 7% raise for teachers and staff.

The pay increase would cost $213 million and is part of a newly negotiated collective bargaining agreement between the school board and the recently formed Fairfax Education Unions. Whether Fairfax County can afford the agreement remains uncertain as officials confront another major budget shortfall.

Reid presented the proposed $4 billion budget to the school board on Jan. 23. She called it a needs-based plan designed to retain educators, strengthen student support and preserve the school system’s academic performance.

Beyond employee raises, the proposal allocates $65.2 million for baseline expenses, including enrollment growth, renewed contracts and facility maintenance.

Another $4 million would support preschool expansion, stronger fine arts programs and athletic trainers at high schools. The plan also directs $14.2 million toward safety improvements, services for multilingual learners and efforts to narrow achievement gaps.

FCPS expects an additional $25 million from the state, $1 million from the federal government and $6.7 million from other sources. Combined with the county request, that would increase funding by $297.1 million.

The full proposal is 7.9% larger than the current fiscal-year budget, which ends June 30, and calls for a 10.4% increase in county contributions.

County shortfall clouds the request

Reid’s proposal arrives as Fairfax County faces a budget gap of nearly $300 million for the second consecutive year. Declining commercial tax revenue and rising expenses have contributed to the shortfall.

County leaders have pressed Virginia to provide more money for public education after a study concluded that FCPS receives about $570 million less each year than the amount indicated by the state’s own funding formula.

A similar conflict played out last year. The Board of Supervisors approved $165 million of the $254 million requested by FCPS, forcing Reid to reduce proposed employee raises from 6% to 3%. The decision frustrated educators and school board members.

Reid acknowledged the latest financial constraints and said the county’s ability to meet the request ultimately depends on greater state support.

“We’re facing a tremendous funding gap that is not of our creation or of our county’s creation,” she said.

Despite those pressures, Reid pointed to continued academic gains. FCPS has a 94.6% graduation rate, and its students outperform state and national averages on the SAT. The number of eighth graders taking Algebra 1 or a more advanced math course also rose nearly 10% from the previous year.

“We’re making huge gains in our academic work, and we’re maintaining our excellence in terms of high expectations, which again, will require high support,” Reid said.

Raises would not erase every regional pay gap

Fairfax currently ranks fifth among eight neighboring school divisions for starting teacher salaries, behind jurisdictions including Arlington and Loudoun counties.

Reid said the proposed 7% raise would move FCPS into first place for starting salaries and strengthen its ability to recruit educators.

The increase would not make Fairfax a regional leader at every experience level. Mid-career teachers would still rank fifth in pay among nearby school systems, while veteran educators at the top of the salary scale would rank seventh.

Reid and school board members said those disparities demonstrate the need for sustained investments in compensation.

“We’re in a real competition for talent right now in this country,” Reid said. “As we think about outstanding educators in every role in the school division, we want the very best for our young people here in Fairfax County, and there’s a cost to that.”

FCPS has already reduced spending by $51.3 million through program consolidations and the expiration of initiatives supported by federal pandemic-relief funds, according to Reid.

She warned that deeper reductions could reach classrooms because 92.5% of employees work in schools and more than 90% of FCPS spending goes directly to schools and classrooms.

Reid also said central management employees account for 1.1% of staffing, compared with 2% to 4% in surrounding jurisdictions.

“In other words, our administrative staffing is lean,” she said.

Billions in long-term needs remain

FCPS also faces a $2.6 billion gap for long-term projects such as new schools, major renovations and responses to overcrowding and shifting enrollment.

The school renovation cycle, originally intended to take 25 years, has stretched to 41 years. Restoring the shorter schedule would cost an estimated $14.4 billion before inflation, according to school officials.

School board members acknowledged that obtaining the full requested amount will be difficult but argued that education spending is central to Fairfax County’s future.

At-large member and budget chair Kyle McDaniel said the budget reflects community priorities ranging from reliable buses and functioning air conditioning to nutritious meals, classroom technology and fair teacher compensation. He also emphasized the importance of giving educators strong administrative support.

The school board is scheduled to examine the proposal at a Feb. 4 work session, with a public hearing expected Feb. 5.

County Executive Bryan Hill is set to release Fairfax County’s advertised budget on Feb. 18. The school board is scheduled to adopt its advertised budget on Feb. 20, followed by a joint budget meeting with the Board of Supervisors on Feb. 25.