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Fairfax County Public Schools is pausing six budget items as it works to close a $28.9 million funding gap without eliminating full-time positions.

Superintendent Michelle Reid presented the fiscal 2027 approved budget on Thursday, May 7, outlining reductions that bring the division’s cumulative cuts for the year to $120 million. The plan preserves support for special education and advanced academics, as well as free middle school after-school activities.

The final funding picture remains uncertain because more than 20% of the FCPS budget comes from the state, whose overall budget is not expected to be finalized until June.

“We still don’t have a clear view of what the state revenue will be like,” Reid said. “I do remain hopeful that some of the proposed reductions may be restored if the state budget results in additional funding.”

That uncertainty has been compounded by other developments in Richmond. FCPS had anticipated higher teacher compensation costs because of legislation that would have permitted collective bargaining for all public employees. Gov. Abigail Spanberger vetoed the bill on May 14, as the school division approached the end of its budget process.

School Board member Karl Frisch said the combination of recurring and one-time funding has made the situation more difficult to assess.

“I would like to know the budget numbers that have been put out in Richmond,” Frisch said. “Part of the complicated nature of this is the mix of one-time funding and long-term funding. Those don’t necessarily match.”

The latest reductions follow the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors’ May 5 decision not to provide the school system’s full requested allocation. That left the county-funded portion $39.7 million short. A separate $10.7 million state contribution reduced the remaining gap to $28.9 million.

FCPS also expects to spend less on baseline student needs because of a change to the funding formula.

Staffing and student devices face major reductions

The largest pause affects the staffing reserve, a pool of employees who can be reassigned as enrollment and personnel needs change. FCPS will cut that reserve by 70 positions, saving $8.8 million.

The FCPSOn student-device program will shift to on-demand replacements, saving another $5.3 million. Instead of receiving new devices at scheduled intervals, students will keep their current equipment until it becomes broken or unusable.

Other reductions include pauses affecting certain Human Resources programs and purchases of new math curriculum materials.

“These revenue pauses will round out the $28 million gap,” Reid said. “This, cumulatively, will bring the FY 2027 reductions to $120 million.”

Reid said the division has tightened spending across its operations but will not pursue the more severe step of cutting full-time staff.

“Things have been tightened down across the division, but I’m not coming forth tonight telling [the school board] that we have to cut positions,” she said. “We’re trying to maintain as much of a level of service, but there’s much less flexibility.”

Some School Board members expressed disappointment over delayed priorities, particularly new math materials and textbooks.

“We’ve been championing the adoption of new math curriculum materials and textbooks, and it sounds like we’re reducing textbook purchases,” member Melanie Meren said. “That’s tragic because it’s been such a priority. We’re really between a rock and a hard place.”

Members also welcomed the decision to retain middle school after-school programs without charging families. Similar proposed reductions in previous years drew strong opposition.

“I know that the middle school after-school programs have been such a huge source of anxiety in my community,” member Ricardy Anderson said. “Including that without incurring a fee will go such a long way.”

Frisch acknowledged that students will still feel the effects, even though the division sought to limit direct harm.

“These choices will impact students, even as we try to take a scalpel to try and avoid a direct impact,” he said. “But of the choices that are available, this is far less than I was expecting.”