The Norfolk City Council voted to accept and appropriate $9,699,214 from the Virginia Department of Education for Norfolk Public Schools, to be applied to basic aid, special education, at‑risk programs, preschool, and state‑funded bonuses.

The funding was presented to council as an amendment to the FY 2026 appropriations ordinance and was adopted by the council at the meeting.

Members of the public spoke during the meeting urging that the additional state funds be directed to teacher pay and wraparound services. "I wanna just thank you all for appropriating those additional funds ... the specifics, in my opinion, should go towards teacher salary teacher salaries and bonuses," speaker Kenan Baskerville told the council. Monet Johnson, a former kindergarten teacher, said she had seen "what not getting those wrap around services looks like for those kids" and urged investment in services that keep students engaged and safe.

Another speaker, Tiara Glassford, urged a two‑step raise model that would increase pay for veteran teachers relative to new hires and requested that the council "keep an eye on all fundings sent to the board." Glassford also called for before‑ and after‑school care at Jaycox Elementary and said students sometimes wait outside before school because the building opens late.

City staff clarified that the allocation is an additional appropriation by the General Assembly for the current fiscal year only. "This was an additional allocation by the General Assembly. It's only for the current fiscal year. ... you should not count on this amount of money in the next fiscal year," a city staff member advising the council said.

The ordinance to accept the funds was adopted without recorded opposition.

Background: The item amends the city's FY 2026 budget to add the state funds for Norfolk Public Schools; the city manager and school board will oversee the appropriation. Several public speakers asked the council to monitor how the school board spends the funds and to prioritize teacher pay and student support services.