Citizens Budget Advisory Committee warns of $16.8M shortfall; staff lays out 5‑year plan to close gaps

The Citizens Budget Advisory Committee (CBAC) told the school board on Feb. 25 that Chesterfield County Public Schools face persistent underfunding and a $16.8 million gap in the superintendent’s FY26 proposed budget, and recommended the board press for recurring funding for maintenance, buses, technology and student-facing services.

CBAC chair Sean Eckert said the committee’s review and school visits reinforced that CCPS is operating with chronic shortfalls in building maintenance and replacement cycles for buses and technology. The committee cited the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) finding that the county’s schools are funded at roughly 80–85% of identified need, and characterized the remaining gap in the superintendent’s proposal as "insufficient to meet the needs of the CCPS schools."

Main CBAC recommendations and findings: - Projected FY26 revenue increases (state and county) total about $25.6 million (roughly a 2.7% increase over FY25) but leave a $16.8 million deficit in the superintendent’s proposed budget, the committee said. - CBAC supports the proposed 3% compensation increase for all employees but noted it still leaves starting teacher pay short of the division’s long-term goal. - The committee called for recurring funding for regular maintenance across 67 school buildings and continued funding for major maintenance; it recommended building a sustainable replacement cycle for buses, technology and equipment rather than relying on one-time funds. - CBAC highlighted nearly $10 million in unmet technology and equipment needs this year and noted the bus fleet includes a large cohort of vehicles past expected service life; last year the division reported 254 buses older than 15 years and estimated a new bus costs about $145,000. - On student support and mental health, CBAC reiterated school-health-advisory recommendations and endorsed additional positions: six additional school social workers, two attendance social workers, six school psychologists and six additional school nurses, plus positions to staff new facilities and career centers.

Why it matters: CBAC emphasized that recurring, not one-time, funding is needed to reduce risk to classroom operations and to avoid escalating maintenance costs. "The funding for major maintenance should be a nonnegotiable item in the budget," Rinal Patel, CBAC vice chair, said.

Five‑year plan: Mr. Meister explained how the FY26 proposal and other needs could be phased over five years to make progress toward long-range goals. The plan assumes roughly 1,400 nominal student growth over the five-year window, targets a $16-per-hour minimum for graded-range roles and a $60,000 starting teacher salary by FY29, and adds phased funding for recurring maintenance, major maintenance, bus replacement and technology replacement cycles.

Key figures from the five‑year plan presented by Mr. Meister: - Goal to reach $16/hour for graded-range positions by FY2029 (estimated additional ongoing cost ~$15 million annually once achieved). - Goal to reach $60,000 starting teacher salary by FY2029 (estimated additional ongoing cost ~$50 million annually once achieved). - Major maintenance target ramped to $35 million annually by FY2030; technology replacement to just over $10 million annually by FY2030; bus replacement to about $8.5 million annually by FY2030. - The combined incremental path in the plan results in a projected budget that exceeds $1.2 billion within the five-year window and shows a $200–$300 million shortfall relative to current funding if all goals are pursued on the presented timeline.

Ending: CBAC asked the board to pursue recurring county and state support for the listed priorities; Mr. Meister said staff would return with updated budget materials and that the board would review adjustments as the county process and the governor’s actions proceed.