Manassas City School Board adopts $184 million FY26 budget after debate over longevity pay

The Manassas City School Board on March 25 approved a $184,024,855 fiscal year 2025–26 budget after extended discussion about a longevity step that would add a new pay step for employees who have reached step 30.

Board members said the budget maintains planned compensation increases and adds targeted strategic investments while keeping the district’s schedule for presenting the adopted budget to the City Council. The motion to adopt the budget passed on a 6–1 vote; Chair Seberg was recorded as opposed.

The budget presentation explained the division received about $330,000 in additional state aid after the Virginia Department of Education released an updated calculation tool, raising the operating fund projection to roughly $151,404,529. District staff said the total revenue increase in the proposal is $5.1 million and that the package preserves $5.2 million in compensation increases, adds $1.0 million in employer contributions for health insurance and about $396,000 in other strategic investments beyond compensation.

A central point of debate was the new longevity step, described by staff as a one-time, permanent top-step addition for employees who have completed roughly 30 years of service. The board was told the longevity step would provide about a 3.5% increase for eligible employees (above the standard cost-of-living adjustment of about 2.2%), would affect approximately 100 employees and carries an estimated initial cost of about $100,000. Supporters said the step helps retain highly experienced staff and reduce hard-to-fill vacancies; opponents said the funds might be used more surgically for recruitment incentives or other urgent staffing needs.

Board members discussed alternatives including sign-on bonuses and other targeted recruitment incentives, and noted that the longevity step had been included in the superintendent’s proposed budget and discussed during prior work sessions. Several board members said they would prefer to keep the longevity step in the adopted budget to avoid rescinding a promise to employees.

The adopted budget also includes new operating items flagged in the presentation: an alternative education coordinator moved from critical unmet needs into the budget; contingency language for providing meals to all students should federal programs change; and additions listed as critical unfunded priorities such as parental leave, an additional social worker and an additional speech-language pathologist.

Board Chair Seberg cast the lone dissenting vote when the board approved the budget and authorized the board chair to transmit the adopted schedules to the City Council, as required by school board policy and Virginia state law.

The board directed staff to present the adopted budget to the City Council at a joint meeting the following day. Staff said some numbers remain subject to final state and gubernatorial action expected later in April or May.