Stafford superintendent presents $490.7 million FY26 funding request, cites $14.2 million gap

Dr. Smith, superintendent of Stafford County Public Schools, presented the FY26 superintendent's funding request to the Stafford County School Board, outlining a proposed $490.7 million budget and saying the division faces a $14.2 million gap between foundational needs and projected revenue.

The request, described by Dr. Smith as "an estimate of our school division's needs," calls for targeted investments in staffing, special programs and facilities to keep pace with rapid enrollment growth and state staffing requirements. She proposed a 3% average salary increase for all Stafford Schools employees and requested $11 million to fund that compensation increase.

Dr. Smith said the proposed FY26 budget relies primarily on state and local funding — about 61.2% from the state and 36.7% from the county in the presentation — and that the governor's proposed budget plus county administrator guidance account for the 3.4% projected revenue increase. "This is not a balanced funding request," she said, adding that the division would need an additional $14.2 million in state or local funding to fully fund the items in the proposal.

Why it matters: Stafford County is among Virginia's fastest-growing localities and the school division's enrollment has climbed to 32,268 students, Dr. Smith…