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Hello, Springfield District,
At the School Board’s January 23 regular meeting, the Superintendent presented her proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Budget. See the details below. The Board will discuss the proposed budget at our Tuesday, February 4 work session beginning at 10:30 a.m. The work session will be broadcast live on Channel 99 (Verizon channel 11) and the FCPS website. Both will be recorded for future viewing and posted to the FCPS School Board YouTube channel. The School Board will listen to public comments regarding the FY 2026 Proposed Budget at a public hearing on Tuesday, February 4 at 6 p.m. Find information about signing up to speak at the hearing.
Additionally, FCPS is hosting an instructional job fair on February 1, 2025, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Lake Braddock Secondary School. See the job fair details.
I will be in touch soon!
Sandy Anderson
First Look: Superintendent’s FY 2026 Proposed Budget
Superintendent Reid’s Proposed Budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 anchors FCPS as our nation’s education destination by keeping the needs of students, families, and taxpayers top of mind. These needs include recognizing taxpayer fatigue, acknowledging chronic state underfunding, meeting the expectations of our families, and meeting the changing needs of today’s students.
This proposed budget is fiscally responsible and invests in excellence — not just for FCPS but for all in Fairfax County who want a strong community with successful young people, dedicated educators and support staff, and a thriving economy.
The FY 2026 Proposed Budget totals $4 billion. This is a net increase of $297.1 million, or 7.9%, over the FY 2025 Approved Budget. As part of this proposal, Dr. Reid is requesting an additional $268.3 million, a 10.4% increase from what was provided in the prior year’s transfer. This transfer request represents a 5.6% increase from last year’s request.
Maximizing Resources
FCPS continually looks for ways to make the most of our resources. But we need to make sure we’re saving smartly — being efficient while still providing a world-class education for our students. That means saving while ensuring we’re still investing in our educators, our students, and the future of our community. We’re proud to be highly rated for our schools and our businesses. We want to keep it that way and continue to grow.
Under this Proposed Budget, FCPS is maximizing its resources while focusing our attention on initiatives that align with the FCPS 2023-30 Strategic Plan. With cost savings in mind, no new initiatives are sought this year. Our administrative staffing is lean — well below neighboring districts. We believe that most of our budget should be spent in the classroom. In fact, more than 85% of the budget is dedicated to instruction.
Competitive Compensation, Multiyear Initiatives, and Targeted Investments
FCPS ranks fifth among eight neighboring districts for master’s level new teacher salaries and seventh for midpoint and maximum teacher salaries. That is why the majority of the budget increase is set aside for a 7.0% salary increase for all staff. We must provide competitive compensation to attract and retain our outstanding educators, administrators, and other school-based and operational staff dedicated to the success of our students.
The budget includes funding to continue multiyear initiatives, including inclusive preschool, certified athletic trainers at each of our high schools, family liaisons, and fine and performing arts stipends. Additionally, there are targeted investments for security updates, including vestibules, security tools, and additional cameras.
Chronic Underfunding
FCPS, along with other Virginia school divisions, has been chronically and critically underfunded by the state for years. Virginia schools receive less funding per student than our neighboring states and the national average. We’re shorted an estimated $568.7 million annually for FCPS alone. That’s approximately $3,100 per student. This chronic underfunding makes FCPS reliant on county funding, which has a significant impact on taxpayers.
Despite this chronic underfunding, FCPS students continue to thrive, outperforming the state in key metrics. Please visit our Sharing Our Success webpage to learn more. These are not just FCPS’ successes — they represent the success of our entire community and the limitless potential of our community’s children.
Thank you for your continued support of Fairfax County Public Schools, and thank you to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors for working alongside us to support our students, empower our educators, and secure the future of our community.
Last Thursday night’s budget presentation video and slides are available on our website. I encourage you to keep up with the budget process by watching our upcoming February 4 School Board work session or visiting the FCPS Budget webpage.
Watch the presentation. View the presentation slides.
Speak at the FY 2026 Proposed Budget Public Hearing
The Fairfax County School Board will hold a public hearing on the FY 2026 Proposed Budget on Tuesday, February 4, 2025, in the Luther Jackson Middle School Auditorium at 6 p.m. The School Board invites community members to testify at this public hearing on the FY 2026 Proposed Budget. Registration for the Speaker's List will be open through 6 p.m., on Monday, February 3, 2025. Register to speak in person or via Zoom. The Fairfax County School Board Office will notify speakers (via email) no later than the morning of February 4, 2025.
Instructional Job Fair on February 1
Fairfax County Public Schools wants you to join our team! We seek educator talent with strong student engagement skills and a passion for positively influencing our school communities.
We are hosting an in-person job fair on Saturday, February 1, 2025, at Lake Braddock Secondary School, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
There will be networking and interviewing opportunities with representatives from various FCPS schools. Employment offers for 2025-26 school year vacancies may be extended during the fair.
Register to attend by Friday, January 31, 2025. Questions may be directed to the Department of Human Resources at 571-423-3000.
Find more information on the FCPS website.
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The views contained within this newsletter reflect the views of the individual school board member who is the publisher of this newsletter and may not reflect the views of the Fairfax County School Board.
© Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax County, Virginia
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