School board approves FY 2025–26 operating budget; adds funds to raise lowest hourly pay and adopts compensation policy

The Montgomery County Public Schools Board voted 6–1 on Feb. 4 to approve the superintendent’s proposed FY 2025–26 operating budget and to add funding aimed at raising the district’s lowest hourly wage.

The budget vote followed a lengthy discussion of personnel costs, salary scale compression and priorities for the coming year. Board members asked for detail on how different minimum‑wage scenarios would affect the budget; administration staff provided estimates showing incremental costs for different hourly targets. The division reported these estimated annual costs to the board: raising the minimum to $16 per hour would increase payroll costs by about $150,000; $17 would cost about $525,000; $18 about $1.1 million; $19 about $1.75 million; and $20 about $2.45 million. Board members also noted a county civilian minimum of $16.29 per hour and discussed whether to match it.

After discussion, several trustees said they supported raising the minimum hourly salary to $16 (some favored $16.29). In order to present a concrete number in the FY 2025–26 budget the board directed the administration to include an additional $150,000 in its county funding request for minimum‑wage increases. Chair Hudson moved to approve the operating budget "as presented to include the 150 ks that we just approved as a group to add for the minimum wage," and the board approved the budget on a roll call vote of 6 in favor, 1 opposed (Ms. Franklin).

The board also approved Policy 1‑2.5 (Compensation and Expenses) on a separate roll call (7–0). Board members discussed timing and optics of board compensation relative to staff pay but ultimately voted to adopt the policy.

Other routine consent‑calendar votes included acknowledgment of the division’s January 2025 financial summary (7–0). The board also handled required procedural votes early in the meeting: a motion to return to open session (7–0) and certification of the preceding closed session under Virginia law (Code of Virginia §2.2‑3711) passed on a roll call in which one trustee reported an abstention for the closed‑session certification (6 in favor, 1 abstention recorded).

The meeting also recorded a formal motion to expel a student (identified as “Student A” in the meeting transcript). The expulsion motion passed by a roll call vote of 6 in favor; the transcript does not record additional public details about the underlying disciplinary matter.

Ending

Superintendent Dr. Bridal said the budget the board approved will now be presented to the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors. The board also directed the administration to return with any implementation details tied to the compensation policy and minimum‑wage changes once county funding is finalized.