Residents urge supervisors to close school funding gap as board proposes smaller increase than schools requested

Residents, educators and school employees told the Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors at a May public hearing that the county's proposed budget does not fully meet the school division's requests and asked supervisors to provide additional support for pay and positions.

The comments came during the county's budget public hearing, where Melissa Brace, president of the Spotsylvania Education Association, praised a proposed 9.9% increase that would add $15.3 million for pay increases and special education positions but said the county's proposal still "falls shy of what the school board requested." She asked the board to "allocate the necessary resources for the school district." (Melissa Brace, president, Spotsylvania Education Association.)

The speakers framed the issue as both financial and moral: they said educator pay, technology needs and staffing for special education and English-language learners are essential to keep classroom instruction stable. "The school board's budget is not just a collection of numbers and figures. It represents a commitment to provide every child with the quality of education they deserve," Brace told the board.

Multiple residents echoed that plea. Nicole Cole, a Battlefield District resident and business owner, said supervisors should "keep your negotiated commitments" to fund the school division and also fund basic social services, parks and infrastructure to support growth. "I will continue as a taxpayer and business owner ... to hold you accountable to do the job as you were elected officials to do," Cole said.

Other speakers warned of risk from potential reductions in federal funding. Forrest Miller, a candidate for House of Delegates, said federal funding averages about 10% for Virginia districts and urged supervisors to plan for a possible loss of that revenue: "If that funding is not there tomorrow, we have to make plans ourselves." (Forrest Miller, candidate, District 63.)

At the same hearing, critics also raised concerns about school governance and legal spending. Jennifer Peterson, speaking on behalf of VAFCF, presented a tally of legal fees the school division has incurred and warned that ongoing litigation could create additional fiscal risk; she cited federal statute 42 U.S.C. a7 1983 when noting potential civil liability for constitutional claims. Peterson urged the board to consider limiting the school board's capacity to create future fiscal exposure. (Jennifer Peterson, representative, VAFCF.)

Not all speakers were aligned on solutions: some urged protecting current service levels while others called for increased taxes or different budget priorities. Dale Swanson, a Cortland District resident, criticized the school board and opposed increased spending for what he called litigation costs, saying taxpayers are "fed up." (Dale Swanson, resident.)

Why it matters: Spotsylvania County Schools are the county's largest public-service employer and a major budgetary item. Supervisors' decisions on the FY2026 budget will determine whether the county can meet the school division's requested pay increases, add special-education positions and sustain current service levels if federal support changes.

The board conducted the public hearing but did not take a formal funding vote at the session; the hearing captured public sentiment and a range of proposals that supervisors may weigh before finalizing the budget.

Ending: Supervisors did not act on the school board's requested totals at the hearing. The budget process continues; the board will consider public input as it finalizes funding for the schools in coming budget actions.