Albemarle school board adopts $284.2 million FY26 budget; adds two school resource officers amid dissent

The Albemarle County School Board voted 6–1 on May 20 to adopt a $284,194,448 FY2026 school fund budget and $28,887,689 for special revenue funds.

The budget proposal presented by Maya Kumazawa, director of budget and planning, matched projected revenues of $284.2 million and included $14.8 million in year‑to‑year increases. That package combined baseline cost adjustments, nondiscretionary changes, $8.3 million in “learning for all” investments and $7.0 million in service reductions.

Kumazawa said the $8.3 million in investments would fund a 3% across‑the‑board salary increase for employees and an additional 4.5% raise targeted to special‑education teaching assistants and transportation assistants. Other investments listed in the proposal included approximately $500,000…