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Fairfax County public school teachers have secured their first collective bargaining agreement in nearly 50 years, but the contract’s promised pay increases still depend on funding from a county government facing a projected $292.7 million revenue gap.

The Fairfax County School Board unanimously approved the agreement with the Fairfax Education Unions on Jan. 9. It covers more than 27,000 teachers and staff and establishes new provisions for wages, hours, benefits and working conditions.

Teachers are scheduled to receive a 7% raise beginning July 1, 2025, followed by 3% increases in 2026 and 2027. The contract also guarantees planning time, provides additional overtime compensation for special education teachers, grants three days of bereavement leave and creates a committee to explore more affordable health care options.

School Board Chair Karl Frisch called the agreement a commitment to fairness, respect and collaboration, saying it resulted from extensive negotiations and advocacy involving employees, union leaders, administrators and the school division’s bargaining team.

The contract is the first of its kind for Fairfax County public school teachers since 1977, according to Fairfax Education Association President Leslie Houston. She celebrated the 12-0 vote and said the agreement will benefit roughly 27,500 employees represented across instructional and operational units.

The deal follows a yearslong effort made possible by a state law signed by then-Gov. Ralph Northam nearly five years earlier. That law allowed local governments and school boards to bargain collectively after the practice had been barred since the 1970s by a Virginia Supreme Court ruling.

The school board began discussions with 17 employee associations in spring 2021 and adopted a resolution granting collective bargaining rights in March 2023. Employees voted overwhelmingly in June 2024 to select the Fairfax Education Unions, a partnership between the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers and the Fairfax Education Association, as their representative.

Principals, supervisors and other administrative employees will negotiate separately through the Fairfax County Federation of Principals, Supervisors, and Administrators, which the school board certified on Oct. 24, 2024.

County funding remains uncertain

Although the agreement calls for raises, Frisch cautioned that the money must come through the county budget process. Fairfax County’s projected shortfall stems in part from declining commercial property tax revenue and growing employee compensation costs tied to the cost of living.

Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said teacher compensation remains a leading priority for both governing boards. However, he stressed that supervisors still have months of budget work ahead before adopting the fiscal year 2026 spending plan in May.

McKay also expressed frustration that county staff were not involved as the school system and unions finalized the agreement. While reaffirming his support for collective bargaining as a tool for recruiting and retaining teachers, he noted that the contract—like county agreements covering police and fire employees—is contingent on available money.

County staff are now reviewing the agreement.

Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity, the Board of Supervisors’ only Republican, attributed the county’s fiscal problems to years of excessive spending under Democratic policies. Most supervisors and school board members instead point to insufficient state support, citing a Virginia Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission study that found Fairfax schools receive more than $500 million less annually than needed.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin proposed amendments to Virginia’s two-year budget in December that included $1 billion in additional education spending. The proposal allocated $290 million for school construction, $550 million in direct aid, $6.8 million for school resource officers and $50 million for underperforming schools. How much of that funding could reach Fairfax County remains unclear.

Houston and Fairfax County Federation of Teachers President David Walrod said they recognize the county’s financial pressures and are lobbying state officials for more money to support the raises.

The next key figures will arrive when Superintendent Michelle Reid presents her proposed budget on Jan. 23 and County Executive Bryan Hill releases his advertised budget on Feb. 18. Walrod said supervisors appear to understand the need to fully fund the school system but are waiting to see what support Virginia provides before making firm commitments.