Poquoson school leaders outline FY26 budget and regional pay study as recruitment priority

Mayor Charlie Hooks opened a joint work session of the Poquoson City Council and Poquoson City School Board on March 24, 2025, framing the meeting as a budget-focused discussion that would center on employee compensation and school–city collaboration.

The Poquoson City Public Schools leadership presented a FY26 spending plan built around a compensation proposal based on a regional market study by the M.A.G. Group; the study compares Poquoson pay scales to 17 neighboring school divisions and recommends adjustments aimed at bringing local pay closer to the regional market average. "The compensation program included in this year's budget is built around retaining and attracting highly skilled and high performing staff," Superintendent Artie Tillett said.

Why it matters: school officials said teacher quality and staffing are the most significant factors in student achievement and argued that competitive pay and clearer pay scales are needed to recruit and retain teachers during a national labor shortage. The budget proposal as presented would increase the school division's personnel costs and asks the city for additional local funding; staff also cited potential increases in state revenue tied to the biennial budget that could reduce the local request.

Key details: Assistant Superintendent for Operations Andrew Roberts summarized the M.A.G. Group findings and the proposed changes. The study identified gaps at multiple career points: for a new teacher (year 0) current Poquoson pay trails Williamsburg-James City County by about $6,300 and York County by about $7,400; the proposed structure would close most of that gap, making Poquoson roughly even with WJCC and within about $1,100 of York for entry-level pay while improving mid- and late-career competitiveness.

Roberts also singled out bus drivers as a recruitment concern: Poquoson currently pays drivers per run (start rate $13.59 per run); the proposal would raise that to $18.32 per run and add roughly $3 per run in targeted supplements to better align with regional hourly equivalents. The budget also accounts for a health insurance premium change and anticipates a routine 3% state pay supplement already in the biennial budget.

Finance director Tracy Spence walked through revenue drivers and formulae: Poquoson used the state's Local Composite Index (LCI) and an assumed average daily membership of 2,1957 (the presentation said FY26 budget used 2,1957) as the basis for state funding estimates. Spence said total per‑pupil cost for FY25 is about $14,073, with roughly $5,195 locally funded per pupil and the state covering the remainder (presentation cited an approximate $7,500 state share). Spence also noted the division receives about $1.5 million in federal funds.

Programs and capacity: Assistant superintendent for instruction Ashley Idd highlighted advanced coursework and career-technical education (CTE). PCPS reported approximately 1,013 enrollments this school year in honors/AP/dual-enrollment courses; middle-school CTE enrollment was about 230 and high-school CTE about 420, with 49 Poquoson students attending New Horizons Regional Education Center programs. The division is launching a College Now cohort (dual-enrollment pathway) beginning in fall 2025 intended to let students earn substantial college credit or an associate degree while in high school.

Questions from council: Council members sought more granular staffing and budget detail — e.g., exact instructional salary share, historical FTE comparisons, and the division's plan for recruiting and "growing their own" staff (a teacher‑pipeline program was described, including paraprofessional credentialing and tuition/support for teachers seeking dual‑credit certifications). Council members also pressed for clearer footnotes on line-item increases and a side‑by‑side comparison of total loaded compensation (salary plus benefits) by career stage for regional peers.

What is not decided: the presentation was informational; no appropriation or vote on the FY26 budget occurred at the session. School staff said they will return with follow-up materials, including loaded‑cost comparisons (salary plus health contributions) for the entry, mid‑career and late‑career cohorts council asked for, and with any confirmed changes from the final state budget negotiations.

Ending: City and school leaders thanked attendees and emphasized continued collaboration on personnel investments and capital planning; the joint work session concluded with the city council and school board moving to a brief break before the regular council meeting.