[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6277492,"mediaKeyId","2654121-232c76ae5eb5e5bcec7bfa56bb16b2f1","parentId",2654121,"title","WJCC proposes $13.9 million operating-budget increase for FY26, prioritizing staff and student supports","audioSeconds",2150,"startMs",2681000,"endMs",4831000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2654121-232c76ae5eb5e5bcec7bfa56bb16b2f1&start=2681&end=4831","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2654121-232c76ae5eb5e5bcec7bfa56bb16b2f1/thumbnail_2681000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6277492/Virginia/WJCC-proposes-139-million-operating-budget-increase-for-FY26-prioritizing-staff-and-student-supports","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6277492-53cc4609d7bb347aca53f6eba4cceda7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771000474&Signature=dgm4eXDSSDK87Sir6P4YMk9jrBv4qiowIuwc34LYBqQwl~urGAb2~UjxYi9NeuLwz6wy0xFZlrWHzGCgGrWehzxaGrOfZmZnGiRDgfdG-EDie-hrYJM1dFAmUE4DXHGINz1RM8KhKd0TU7--r16PdlNRob-NpxRHv~Xv7U-v-jl7eUFFBFsid9~ykgXOgRXZWtk4~I5XvMeH0Zn0C6lgHhqmNQ7aVnMitkFxFXutvDgq4nnoRwjgyOiQj2tHQgZ1zX2KbZVxv8o0prR502TE9tK7Uw1GIHAJXl5CvoWce7woHDHZ-z6Vpkro6LfXN1uJRWeuhgWabfdUVWgSKpFdDQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Williamsburg-James City Public School","date","2025-03-14T18:33:56Z","article","Williamsburg, Va. — Administrators for Williamsburg-James City County Schools presented a proposed FY26 operating budget to the joint body that would increase local funding requests by about $13.9 million over last year, driven largely by staffing needs and compensation adjustments, division leaders said.

Renee Ewing and members of the administration outlined the superintendent’s proposal, which they said is based on the governor’s amendments to the 2024–26 state budget and on recommendations from a compensation study by Bolton. The proposal balances investment needs tied to the Elevate to ’28 strategic plan with limits on local resources, administrators said.

Why it matters: 87% of the division’s operating budget is personnel costs, so proposed increases center on maintaining staff, meeting new state-mandated staffing models and beginning a multi-year implementation of the Bolton compensation recommendations.

Highlights of the proposal and supporting details:
- Total request and context: The administration said the superintendent’s request is nearly $13,900,000 above last year’s request; the division calculated a larger “true budget of need” at about $21,000,000 but scaled the proposal back to what it called a responsible initial request.
- Mandatory increases and state mandates: The budget includes roughly $3.3 million classified as mandatory increases (14.5 FTEs) for items such as LEAP staffing, special education tuition and utilities. The division noted the General Assembly’s approved items (for example, elimination of the cap on funded support positions and an add-on for special ed basic aid) could affect final state support estimates.
- LEAP (English learner) staffing: Under a new state staffing model the division estimates LEAP allocations must increase from 22 to about 32 teachers; administrators recommended rounding to 32 LEAP positions to meet new ratios and cited that Level 1 and Level 2 students require the most daily contact.
- Special education: The division reported a rising special-education population and showed a five-year spending trend. For FY24 the presentation listed state and federal special education funding at about $8,000,000 and local funding around $18,700,000 (division slide figures). The division said local funding bears roughly 70% of special-education costs, with 21% state and about 9% federal in the division’s breakdown.
- Compensation and Bolton study: The budget includes a required 3% salary increase driven by the state budget and an estimated $2,500,000 to begin implementing Bolton’s recommendations. Bolton’s full recommended salary changes were estimated at $7,600,000 (salaries only) and about $9,600,000 including benefits if implemented in a single year. The proposal would direct about $1.9 million to adjust teacher pay toward regional competitiveness and about $600,000 to unify support staff scales and raise minimum hourly pay to $15.50 for many employees.
- Health insurance: The proposal assumes a 15% increase in healthcare costs, which the division plans to share 70% (division) / 30% (employees). Division leaders said an ongoing procurement (RFP) might reduce the final healthcare increase.
- School-based staffing requests: The proposal lists additional classroom teachers to maintain class-size ratios, one high-school counselor, a second assistant principal for the Bright Beginnings Pre-K program (to support two pre-K centers), two additional elementary gifted resource teachers, six additional paraprofessionals for self-contained classrooms and nine teacher-assist positions to strengthen behavior supports at elementary schools.
- Behavioral support and restorative programming: The division asked to convert some grant-funded elementary security positions to operating funds (matching funds may be required) and to sustain four positions for a secondary “reset” program in a restorative center that provides in-person instruction for students considered for short-term suspension.
- Other items: The proposal includes funding to pay AP exam fees for all students enrolled in AP courses (administrators estimated about $340,000), expanded summer school funding previously supported by grants, and modest additions for supplies and benefit-administration services.

Administration emphasized the proposal is a starting point. The division said favorable action by the General Assembly and finalization of the healthcare procurement could reduce the local request to about $11.9 million. Administrators also identified numerous requested FTEs that were not included in this initial proposal (for example, middle-school assistant principals, elementary instructional coaches and additional custodial supervision), noting those items were deferred for affordability.

Quotes: Renee Ewing: “This is a data driven estimate of what is required to provide the highest quality education possible to the children of our community.” The administration added, “87% of our operating budget is people.”

Decision status: The presentation was informational; the joint bodies did not vote on the FY26 budget proposal during the joint session. Administrators said the school board would act on the budget at upcoming meetings and that local funding partners will consider requests as part of their separate budget cycles.

Votes at a glance (formal action on the public agenda during the joint meeting):
- City Council motion to adjourn: “I move that we adjourn.” Motion seconded. Roll call recorded as: Miss Williams — Aye; Miss Ramsey — Aye; Miss Tenshier — Aye; Vice Mayor Jen — Aye; Mayor Ponds — Aye. Outcome: approved; council adjourned.

Ending: Administrators asked funding partners and the public to note the proposal is an initial request tied to strategic priorities and to expect updated numbers once the state budget is finalized and the health-insurance procurement completes.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","WJCC Schools, JCC Board of Supervisors, and WMBG City Council Joint Meeting from 3/14/25","oneSentenceSummary","Administrators presented a superintendent’s FY26 budget proposal that requests nearly $13.9 million above last year to fund mandated staffing, begin implementing compensation-study recommendations and cover increased healthcare and program costs.","taxTitle","WILLIAMSBURG-JAMES CITY PBLC SCHS, School Districts, Virginia","taxId",14522,"location","Virginia","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6277497,"WJCC reports midyear academic gains as Virginia shifts to new accountability framework",680,62000,742000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2654121-232c76ae5eb5e5bcec7bfa56bb16b2f1&start=62&end=742","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2654121-232c76ae5eb5e5bcec7bfa56bb16b2f1/thumbnail_62000.jpg","/articles/6277497/Virginia/WJCC-reports-midyear-academic-gains-as-Virginia-shifts-to-new-accountability-framework","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6277497-fc9ba845224b4d23e5a1168698be4f01/orig.mp4?Expires=1771000474&Signature=ORg5h16xhRZT17ycObuybmaTrgMawGdxTN7wrcQ-p0Mxfvs5Higxj7W-psY1eEGJiHW3oX2Ox73VsMx8-DzzLfPJ9Eh0zm0YpMQpww6aBysvJo4aFfRjka52yKoTxSAGG5kqUV1FYzbk~65V1Y0F9VEHH78ZTHOP1s05AzbtdxoqiFZFGOcOHNllonYy5TdHfT75W4zDueF8W2rWLN41CQM2knWQ-mKx2YFj5N4aja84b5~arJ74jIaEN9-XgwkBr~ERNQuYOvjRmpFs0UkbLCg8hcKWHnJvhRbdMN-bVB92BoxP~8qNt6QjRV-08~bt8A7i-dGX69MoL4Ih~DZLQg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Williamsburg, Va. — Williamsburg-James City County Schools presented a midyear academic update to the joint meeting of the school board, county board of supervisors and city council, reporting diagnostic gains across grade levels while explaining how the Virginia Department of Education’s new accountability framework will change school ratings.

The update, presented by Acting Superintendent Dr. Cooper and Assistant Superintendents Sean Walker (elementary) and Kathy Worley (secondary), covered division demographics, an overview of the VDOE framework, school improvement planning aligned to the Elevate to ’28 strategic plan, and midyear results from state and locally administered assessments.

The new Virginia School Performance and Support Framework replaces the previous accreditation labels and uses a 100-point weighted model that emphasizes mastery, growth and readiness. Walker said mastery carries the largest share of the score (about 65% at the elementary level, 60% at middle and 50% at high school), readiness includes chronic absenteeism and high schools receive additional weight for graduation and a “ready for life” indicator tied to enrollment, employment or enlistment (the “3 E” metric). The state also lowered the minimum student-reporting group from 30 to 15 students, and replaced the old accredited/accredited-with-conditions/denied labels with four performance categories.

Why it matters: the division modeled last year’s SOL results under the new framework and found 13 of 16 schools (about 81%) would fall into the top two performance categories of “on track” or “distinguished,” a drop from the 100% “fully accredited” classification under the former model. Dr. Cooper warned the change could lead to different public perceptions and said the division aims to avoid “whiplash” if the framework is altered in future legislative cycles.

Key data presented:
- Enrollment and demographics: the division serves about 11,300 students across 16 schools (PreK–12); nearly 4,000 students are economically disadvantaged; more than 1,000 are English learners; roughly 1,700 receive gifted services and about 1,800 receive special education services. The division reports students represent 84 countries and 49 languages.
- Graduation: the class of 2024 on-time graduation rate was reported at 95.3%, the highest recorded for the division.
- Early literacy: the state’s new K–2 screener (Virginia Language and Literacy Screener, or VALS) administered in fall 2024 identified about 28% of K–2 students (reported as 651 students) as high risk and in need of intervention; individualized reading plans were developed for those students.
- Diagnostic growth: the division used IXL diagnostic assessments in grades 1–8; presenters said all grade levels showed growth from fall to midyear in both reading and math. For elementary intervention, presenters said 1,706 students (about 22% of elementary enrollment) received additional literacy intervention and 767 elementary students (about 16%) received additional math intervention. Middle-school midyear figures included 623 students (23%) receiving literacy interventions and 369 (about 20.5%) receiving math interventions; 84 students were enrolled in after-school tutoring at the time of the presentation.
- Chronic absenteeism: semester 1 K–12 chronic absenteeism was reported at 12.2% (presenter said “13 89 students,” interpreted in the slides as roughly 1,389 students). Presenters described ongoing family outreach, attendance plans and partnerships to reduce absences.

Division response and next steps: presenters emphasized that every school produces an annual school improvement plan aligned to the Elevate to ’28 strategic plan. The division plans to publish a dashboard (a QR code was provided on the informational card distributed at the meeting) with key performance indicators and said it will return to both governing bodies with more detailed subgroup and school-level data in the fall after SOL results are available.

Quotes: Dr. Cooper: “As of today, the arrows are all pointing in the right direction.” Sean Walker: “The mastery component … makes up the largest piece of the 100 model.”

The presentation opened a number of questions from supervisors and council members about how the new categories map to the old accreditation labels and about the stability of the framework under future administrations. Presenters said the new labels will be reported as “distinguished,” “on track,” “monitoring,” or “off track” and that off-track schools would be eligible for state supports, such as school improvement funding. They also said there is no guarantee the framework will remain unchanged under a future administration, and that the division will work to provide community context around the shift.

The midyear update portion of the joint meeting concluded with the division offering to return with a more disaggregated report in the fall, including subgroup performance and school-level detail.

Ending: The division emphasized ongoing interventions, the use of multiple data points to guide instruction, and that school teams will continue monitoring progress to support students before the spring SOL cycle and the fall reporting under the new VDOE framework.","Williamsburg-James City County Schools presented a midyear academic update showing diagnostic growth, lower chronic absenteeism and high graduation rates while outlining how Virginia’s new school accountability framework will change how schools are rated beginning next school year.","actionData","errors"]

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WJCC proposes $13.9 million operating-budget increase for FY26, prioritizing staff and student supports

WJCC reports midyear academic gains as Virginia shifts to new accountability framework