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Fairfax County Public Schools is proposing a $4 billion operating budget for fiscal year 2026, nearly $300 million more than the current year, as the division confronts rising costs, educator retention concerns and growing student needs.

Division Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid presented the proposal to the Fairfax County School Board on Jan. 23. The fiscal year begins July 1, 2025.

The plan calls for $297.1 million in additional funding compared with fiscal year 2025. That includes a $268.3 million increase in the county transfer, $23.2 million more from the state and $6.7 million from other sources. Federal funding is projected to decline by $1 million.

Reid acknowledged that higher costs and taxes could contribute to “a sense of tax fatigue” among county residents. But she argued that sustained financial and community support is necessary to maintain and improve the school system.

“Let’s face it, things are more expensive today than they were a year ago, than they were five years ago, 10 years ago,” Reid said, adding that escalating costs affect the budget even before the division attempts to raise academic standards or expand student activities.

Employee compensation drives the increase

The largest proposed change is $213.7 million for compensation adjustments.

The budget includes $240.8 million for salaries and benefits negotiated through collective bargaining. That amount covers a 7 percent compensation increase, pay enhancements for transportation and food-service workers, and changes in health-care rates.

Another $5.5 million would address retirement-rate changes affecting approximately 6,000 employees participating in the Fairfax County Employees’ Retirement System and the Educational Employees’ Supplementary Retirement System of Fairfax County.

Those increases would be partially offset by $32.7 million in projected savings from employee turnover.

Reid said competitive compensation is essential to retaining skilled educators. She also noted that 92.5 percent of FCPS employees are school-based, the highest share among school districts in the Washington region, and said most division funding goes directly toward instruction.

The proposal contains no broad new initiatives.

Safety and teacher training targeted

Two targeted investments total $14.2 million.

FCPS is seeking an additional $9.3 million for school safety and security. Planned measures include more security cameras, panic-alert systems, secure vestibules and a Rap Back service that alerts authorized agencies when a person’s criminal history changes.

Another $4.9 million would support differentiated-learning credentials for teachers, including training in Universal Design for Learning and initiatives serving multilingual students.

The proposal also includes $65.2 million in baseline adjustments intended to address changing community needs. Listed increases include $23.6 million for recurring expenses such as substitute-teacher incentives, middle school late buses, esports stipends, legal services, the online campus, AP and IB testing fees, workers’ compensation and grant adjustments.

Another $20 million would respond to enrollment changes and shifting student needs. Transfers to other funds would rise by $12.9 million to support major infrastructure maintenance, enhanced summer school and debt service.

Several priorities remain unfunded

Reid identified a number of needs that the proposed budget does not address. They include expanding middle school sports, accelerating work on the maintenance backlog, reducing class sizes, changing middle school start times and purchasing more electric buses.

She also pointed to a 2023 analysis by Virginia’s Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission that estimated FCPS was underfunded by $568.7 million, or approximately $3,100 per student. Reid said Virginia’s per-student funding trails both the national and regional averages after adjusting for costs.

For comparison, Loudoun County Public Schools has proposed a $1.95 billion operating budget for fiscal year 2026, while Montgomery County Public Schools has proposed a $3.16 billion plan.

Board members warn the plan covers only basic needs

Several School Board members said the proposal falls short of addressing the division’s full needs.

Franconia District representative Marcia St. John-Cunning characterized it as a “basic needs-based budget” representing the lowest level of support required. She urged the division’s funding partners to close the remaining gap.

Hunter Mill District representative Melanie Meren called for a different working relationship between the school system and the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, which controls the county transfer. She said maintenance funding had been omitted because of financial constraints even though the school division is responsible for much of the upkeep of $8.7 billion in public facilities.

Sully District representative Seema Dixit warned that FCPS could lose educators if compensation fails to reflect Fairfax County’s high cost of living and the expense of commuting to work there.

Reid argued that investment in the school system benefits the wider county by attracting residents and businesses, strengthening workforce development, supporting students’ economic mobility, reducing social costs and protecting property values.