Superintendent presents balanced FY26 budget with $892,981 in new investments

Dr. Carmardi, superintendent of Goochland County Public Schools, presented the division's proposed fiscal year 2026 budget on March 11, asking the school board to approve a $45,467,414 operating plan that the administration described as balanced and containing $892,981 in new investments.

The proposal centers on three strategic goals: maximize each student's academic potential, build an inclusive and engaging culture, and maintain facilities and technology. "I'm very proud tonight to present the superintendent's proposed budget for your consideration and hopeful approval," Dr. Carmardi told the board and members of the public.

The nut of the proposal is a roughly 2% increase in total operating revenue over the current fiscal year driven primarily by a $1,384,146 recommended increase in the county transfer; the administration also expects a small net increase in state aid and an 11% projected drop in federal funds. The superintendent said the budget's new investments total $892,981 and that overall spending would grow to $45,467,414 with 77% of operating dollars designated for instruction.

Major line items and assumptions - Compensation: The budget includes a 3% cost-of-living increase for all employees with satisfactory evaluations, a package the superintendent said costs $995,839. The proposal offsets part of that amount with projected savings from unfilled positions and retirements ($244,273 and just over $87,000, respectively). - Instructional investments and student services: Net new investments of $95,424 for Goal 1 (student academic supports), including restorations for special education administration, textbook adoption funding for history and social studies, and tuition costs for regional programs such as ACA and Maggie O. Walker. - Facilities, resources and technology: New investments under Goal 3 total $746,581. The presentation explained $247,718 was moved from the capital improvement plan (CIP) into the operating budget as part of a $500,000 transfer the division requested. - Revenue assumptions: The administration budgeted conservatively for average daily membership (ADM) at 2,520 and used a conservative 97.5% estimate for sales tax receipts. The proposal relies on the county transfer for roughly 71% of local revenues and estimated the local composite index (LCI) at 0.8 in calculating state support.

Enrollment and program context Dr. Carmardi emphasized recent enrollment growth: the September 30 counts over a five-year view show a net gain of about 71 students year-over-year, with particular growth at the newly redistricted elementary school (referred to as Guichlen/Goochland Elementary School in the presentation). He noted the division budgets to an ADM that is typically more conservative than current-day headcount because state funding is tied to an ADM figure finalized after the school year begins.

Unfunded priorities and "strategic abandonment" The superintendent presented an itemized list of unfunded priorities, organized in tiers: Tier 1 items (highest priority) include interventionists at elementary schools, additional ESL support, and administrative help for the larger elementary; Tier 2 includes a proposed work-based learning coordinator intended to be a joint position with county workforce development (position cost cited at $120,000 salary and benefits as presented); Tier 3 includes items such as a library assistant, additional ITRT support, a 0.5 FTE increase for band instruction, two bus drivers and various technology and security upgrades.

Dr. Carmardi also identified roughly $660,000 in "strategic abandonment" tied to expired federal grants and reduced one-time resources (for example, COVID-era federal funds no longer available), and described $147,000 as the approximate cost of a 65-passenger replacement bus and $108,000 for two replacement maintenance vehicles that are currently unfunded.

Board questions and context Board members sought clarifications on Apple Distinguished Schools membership, per-pupil funding ranks, the rationale for additional interventionists despite strong division-wide achievement rates, and the mechanics of the ACA tuition change (the superintendent said the state will fund those tuitions and that a Senate bill to delay that change died in committee). The board discussed the $500,000 move from CIP to operating and whether that represents a net new local investment or an accounting transfer; Dr. Carmardi and finance staff explained the $500,000 was reallocated from CIP to operations to cover prior-year procurement and ongoing operational needs.

Why it matters If approved by the Board of Supervisors, the proposed budget would fund a 3% salary increase, preserve current benefits with no proposed health insurance rate increase, and prioritize instructional spending (77% of the budget). The budget leaves a list of additional needs unfunded and sets the stage for continued negotiations with county officials during a planned March work session.

Ending Following board discussion the school board voted to approve the superintendent's proposed budget and will forward the board's proposal and an accompanying cover letter to the Board of Supervisors for consideration; the superintendent noted that budgets can be amended later if additional revenue becomes available.