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Parents, teachers and PTAs urge council to keep school funding at 40% of local revenue
Summary
Dozens of citizens, teachers and PTA leaders told council March 17 that proposed city budget changes would create a $9 million shortfall for Roanoke City Public Schools and urged the council to honor the previous funding agreement that provides 40% of local tax revenue to schools.
Multiple parents, teachers and PTA and foundation representatives used the public‑comment period at Roanoke City Council’s March 17 meeting to press for full funding of Roanoke City Public Schools (RCPS).
Speakers said the city’s proposed budget approach would produce a combined shortfall of roughly $9,000,000 for the school division — including testimony that the city is withholding a $6,700,000 increase RCPS expects under the funding formula and that federal funding is down about $2,000,000 compared with prior years. Speakers warned that cuts would force teacher reassignments, program eliminations (including elementary Spanish) and unfilled positions that would raise class sizes and reduce services.
Teachers and PTA leaders called the city’s historical commitment — a funding policy that directed 40% of actual local tax revenue to RCPS — a source of budget stability and urged council to maintain a needs‑based budget to preserve programs, raises and staffing. Several speakers compared Roanoke unfavorably to neighboring jurisdictions that allocate larger shares of local tax revenue to schools (one speaker cited Roanoke County at 42.9%) and asked why the city would cut schools while revenues were up.
Why it matters: Funding shifts at the local level directly affect staffing, class size and program offerings in public schools. Speakers framed the question as a long-term investment in the city’s workforce and economic future and warned that underfunding could reduce student supports and create inequities.
Notable figures and claims presented at the hearing: - Rebecca Murphy said a proposed city budget would mean RCPS loses $6,700,000 from city funding and that combined with federal reductions the total shortfall would reach about $9,000,000. - Several speakers who identified as teachers or PTA leaders urged the council to keep the 40% funding policy in place or otherwise fully fund the superintendent’s needs‑based budget. - Jesse Kaufman and a representative of the Roanoke City Public Schools Education Foundation said private donations cannot substitute for core public funding; in Virginia, school boards are limited in fundraising.
Council action: The council did not take a funding vote at the meeting. The mayor announced that the city’s recommended fiscal year 2025–26 budget presentation is scheduled for March 24 at 2 p.m.; the budget conversation will determine final allocations.
Speakers included parents, PTA officials, classroom teachers, the RCPS Education Foundation and community volunteers. The consistent message was to prioritize education funding and avoid cuts that would affect classroom staffing and long‑standing programs.
