Spotsylvania schools present $495 million budget request, outline $20.9M funding gap and $103.2M FY26 CIP

Spotsylvania County Public Schools officials presented the school division's FY2026 budget request — a $495 million package of operating and other funds — and a five‑year capital improvement plan that includes $103.2 million in FY2026 spending, saying the division still faces a $20.9 million funding gap that will require further action by the Board of Supervisors.

The presentation, delivered to the Board of Supervisors and members of the public, laid out changes in state funding formulas, enrollment shifts, staffing mandates from the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), and capital needs. “As of FY26, each point that the state diverts to the locality is equivalent to about $2,500,000 of lost funding to schools,” the presenter said, urging supervisors to consider long‑term effects as new businesses and growth change the locality’s composite index.

Why it matters: the budget request combines state, federal and local funding, but growth in students with higher service needs and new state staffing requirements are driving requests for dozens of new positions and for continued capital borrowing. If the Board of Supervisors provides less local revenue than requested, the school division would either scale back services or defer investments that administrators called “critical.”

Summary of main points

- Total request and gap: The school board‑approved budget presented to the supervisors totals about $495 million across all funds; the schools reported a remaining funding gap of roughly $20.9 million after…