Amherst County school board approves 2025–26 operating budget; board and staff stress summer programs, grant funding and monitoring

The Amherst County School Board on March 11 approved a 2025–26 operational budget that keeps several staffing additions and relies in part on state grant programs to expand summer learning and literacy supports.

Superintendent Doctor Wells summarized changes and line-item adjustments before the vote, saying the presentation “summarize[d] the discussions of the work session” and listing personnel and program edits that had been made since the work session and a special budget meeting. The board voted to approve the budget as presented; Dr. Wells said he will present it to the Board of Supervisors at a March work session.

The budget presentation listed several personnel adjustments: freezes to stipends as a percentage of pay, striking one CSR instructional assistant but adding a full-time teacher at Madison Heights Elementary, and adding a Best Lab at Elon Elementary while reducing Best Lab staffing at other schools. Staff said an additional position tied to All In Virginia funding was proposed to be moved out of one-time funds into operating to expand summer school access.

Why it matters: the budget mixes operating dollars with targeted grant funding — notably the All In Virginia allocations — to protect…