Orange County Public Schools board adopts amended FY25-26 budget to raise pay, reassign staff and add classroom space

The Orange County Public Schools Board approved amended fiscal year 2025–26 operating and ancillary budgets after a presentation and discussion of staffing, pay scales and capital reconfiguration needs. The board adopted the amendment by voice vote at the meeting; the motion passed.

The amendments, presented by Doctor Hornick (presenter), include a proposed change to the teacher pay scale intended to reduce the district’s gap to the market median, a 3% across‑the‑board pay increase for most employees, hourly raises for custodial and building‑secretary starting pay, reassigning an existing first‑grade teacher slot from Orange Elementary School to Locust Grove Primary School, an additional $350,000 for reconfiguring classroom space at Locust Grove, and the incorporation of a grant‑funded school security officer (SSO) into staffing plans.

Why it matters: Personnel make up most of the district’s budget, and the board said the package prioritizes improving teacher and support‑staff pay while keeping the budget balanced. Doctor Hornick told the board the adjustments are intended to “chip away” at the district’s teacher pay gap and that the amendments reflect a smaller revenue award than the division initially sought.

Key details

Doctor Hornick said the district will move an existing first‑grade teacher position from Orange Elementary School to Locust Grove Primary School and described that relocation as necessary: “we do absolutely have to have this position,” he said, adding that the primary school also needs a counselor, special educators and an English‑learner instructor. He said the transfer is not an additional net position in the budget, but is “in addition to…