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Southampton County School Board approves $38.3 million proposed operating budget for FY2025–26
Summary
The board voted to approve the division'wide FY2025'26 operating budget proposal that requests roughly $38.28 million in total funding and asks approximately $14.05 million from the county, including pay increases and new special-education staff.
The Southampton County School Board on March 10 approved a proposed operating budget for fiscal year 2025'26 that requests a total of about $38.28 million and asks the county to provide roughly $14.05 million to meet local needs.
Board members approved the budget after presentations from central office staff and discussion about staffing and unavoidable cost increases. The proposal includes a 3% across-the-board pay increase for all employees and raises the starting teacher salary to $48,200.
The budget request also funds additional positions the division said are needed to serve students: four new special-education teachers (one each at Motteway and Riverdale, two at Southampton High School), one kindergarten paraprofessional at Nottoway, one kindergarten paraprofessional at Riverdale, one elementary paraprofessional at Fresh Start, and seven local substitute staff to be deployed divisionwide. The administration said it also requested increased funding for special-education regional tuition, related therapy services, and several operational cost increases.
District staff outlined several nonpersonnel increases by category: a $31,250 rise in gasoline and diesel costs and $5,200 for vehicle insurance in transportation; a $321,009 increase in operation and maintenance that includes higher utility and repair costs (electrical increases around $44,705, heating about $10,850 and a $75,000 increase for repair and maintenance supplies); and a technology-category increase of about $46,738. The budget also includes debt-service payments tied to ongoing projects such as school roofs, an energy performance project, Riverdale Elementary work and bus financing.
In board discussion, members emphasized special-education staffing as a priority. Board member Brandon Rogers said the additional special-education teachers were not optional, calling them “an absolute need.” Other members noted that rising insurance, fuel and tuition costs contributed to the local funding increase and limited the district's capacity for new initiatives.
A motion to approve the proposed FY2025'26 operating budget was moved by Miss Lane and seconded by Miss Hobbs; the motion carried and the board approved the proposal.
The board will forward the adopted line-item proposal and categorical detail to the Board of Supervisors as part of the county budget process.
