Isle of Wight superintendent proposes FY26 operating budget, seeks 3% pay raise and larger health fund

Isle of Wight County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Kramer on Feb. 24 presented the superintendent's proposed FY26 operating budget to the school board at Westside Elementary School, asking the board to weigh raises, higher health‑insurance contributions, staffing increases and capital projects and reminding members that the Board of Supervisors must appropriate funds before any increase takes effect.

"This is the superintendent's proposed budget and is merely the first public discussion of the FY '26 proposed operating budget," Dr. Kramer said, adding that "Funds are only made available once the board of supervisors approves the operating budget and appropriates the funds." The presentation kicked off a wide-ranging work session with board members asking for more detail on items including special education staffing, health‑insurance costs, weapons‑detection equipment and capital projects.

The nut graf: Dr. Kramer framed the request around three funding trends: Isle of Wight's relatively high local composite index (indicating greater local ability to pay), the division's low per‑pupil funding compared with regional peers, and the end of one‑time federal COVID relief (ESSER) dollars. He cited a Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) finding that Virginia provides less K‑12 funding per pupil than the national average after normalizing for labor costs, and he urged the board and supervisors to consider returning local support toward pre‑pandemic levels.

The most detailed budget items presented were:

- Compensation and benefits: A proposed 3% salary increase for educators, presented as matching a proposal from the Virginia General…