Henrico superintendent proposes $29.8 million increase; plan holds raises for later unified pay process

Superintendent Dr. Michael Cashwell presented Henrico County Public Schools’ recommended fiscal year 2026 general fund budget on Jan. 23, proposing roughly $29.8 million in new recurring spending and a set of program and staff investments while holding systemwide salary increases for later in the unified pay plan process.

The recommendation, Cashwell said, “reflects our commitment to academic excellence, safety and wellness, and recruitment and retention of exemplary educators and staff.” The document shown to the school board would prioritize counselors and school safety staff, expand English‑learner and opportunity‑school supports, make permanent several positions formerly funded by grants, and cover most of an expected employer increase in health benefit costs.

Why it matters: the recommended plan frames school division spending priorities ahead of a public hearing, a board approval meeting and the county budget process. The board will hold a public hearing on the recommended spending plan Feb. 13 at 5 p.m., is scheduled to vote to approve a working budget on Feb. 27, and plans to adopt a final budget after the county adopts its overall budget in April.

Topline changes and new recurring items in the FY2026 recommendation include: - General fund increase: approximately $29,800,000 (about 4.2% over the FY2025 adopted general fund target). - Safety and wellness: five additional school counselors for the Henrico Cares initiative; three new safety supervisor positions; seven school security officers (SSOs) assigned to open‑campus middle and high schools; recurring funding for 46 elementary SSOs added this year. - Academic growth and student supports: two more opportunity schools (Ratcliffe Elementary and Brookland Middle), 15 additional English language learner teachers (about $1,400,000), a full‑time counselor at the welcome center, expanded summer academy pay (previously funded with ESSER), and permanent funding for 83 elementary planning positions and 26 teacher positions added during the current year. - Equity and program expansions: 52 positions to support expanded services and programming at the Virginia Randolph campus; local funding to preserve contracted transportation services for students served under McKinney‑Vento (a $1,000,000 local appropriation included in the proposal); permanent funding for interpretation and document translation previously paid from ESSER; and funding for a new computer lab at Henrico High School tied to future specialty programming. - Compensation and benefits: the recommendation does not include across‑the‑board salary increases; those remain part of the county’s unified pay plan and will be considered later in the process. The budget does, however, include an employer budget increase of roughly $4.9 million to absorb higher group health insurance costs so that most employees will see little to no premium increase during calendar year 2025.

Budget context and assumptions Officials told the board the FY2026 figures do not yet include potential pay raises from the unified pay plan; the division’s request reflects available state and local targets received from the county. The presentation noted that Governor’s budget proposals then before the General Assembly included roughly $45.8 million in additional state general fund revenue compared with the division’s FY2025 baseline; any additional state aid adopted later could change the final outcome.

Staff and document availability Budget staff said a full 151‑page recommended budget document was available at board members’ seats and posted on the division’s website. Chief budget presenter Mr. Wack and budget team members (including Director Monique Barnes, Amy Barnes, and Bridal Morris) answered board questions during the work session.

Board questions and requests Board members pressed staff on details including: how and where the 15 ELL teachers will be deployed; prioritization for the funded but not yet filled welcome‑center counselor; the financial implications of extreme weather and infrastructure strain (facilities and wellness costs); the sustainability of local funding that replaces expiring federal grants; permanent staffing for elementary planning time; and details on the Virginia Randolph expansion. Staff committed to follow‑up data on ELL deployment, transportation costs for McKinney‑Vento students and longer‑term fiscal implications of federal funding declines.

What’s next The division will hold a publicly noticed hearing on Feb. 13 (5 p.m.) on the recommended budget, and the school board is scheduled to act on a working budget on Feb. 27. The final adoption is contingent on county actions and the unified pay plan decisions later this spring.

Ending note Cashwell and budget staff characterized the recommendation as a conservative plan intended to maintain instructional focus while addressing safety, mental‑health and equity priorities; they emphasized that compensation remains a top priority but will be addressed through the joint pay plan process.