Norfolk superintendent proposes $772.9 million operating budget with teacher pay bump, $8.5M for tutoring and device funding

Superintendent Dr. Birdsong on Wednesday presented a proposed $772,900,000 operating budget for Norfolk Public Schools for fiscal 2025–26, outlining pay increases for teachers, an $8.5 million tutoring allocation and $253 million in proposed capital improvements.

The proposed budget splits the district’s funds among a $450,000,000 general fund, a $26,900,000 school nutrition fund and a $42,800,000 grants and special programs fund; state revenue is projected as the largest source at $263,300,000, followed by city funding at $167,700,000. The superintendent said a public hearing is scheduled for March 5 and recommended school-board adoption on March 19, with the district’s proposed budget due to City Council by the statutory April 1 deadline for localities.

The package would raise the starting teacher salary from $57,500 to $60,088 (a 4.5% change described by the administration as a one-step increase combined with a cost-of-living adjustment). Staff at the top of the scale would receive a one-time 2.2% bonus. The superintendent and Chief Finance Officer Cheryl Spivey said compensation is a priority and that the proposal is designed to keep Norfolk competitive with nearby divisions.

Tutoring and academic interventions are a central part of the proposal. The administration proposed $8,500,000 for tutoring, which the chief academic officer said was designed to cover both locally hired tutors and contract services, including university instructors, and to anticipate the likely exhaustion of federal "all-in" funding used this year. Officials said the tutoring line increased from roughly $6 million last year to $8.5 million because of the expiration of some one-time federal allocations and because the district expects to shift toward hiring more local tutors — a cost-saving measure compared with higher-priced contracted instructors. The administration said it is finalizing an RFP to reestablish contracts with tutoring providers.

Board members pressed officials for detail on how that $8.5 million would be spent. Dr. Burrow (chief academic officer) told the board the line includes early-literacy tutors, middle- and high-school reading and math tutors, and sixth- and ninth-grade reading tutors, and that professional development tied to the Virginia Literacy Act is included in the academic-affairs request.

Technology and device inventory drew extended questioning. Chief Technology officer Dr. Cataldo said the district has 28,007 Chromebooks and 6,049 iPads and a device replacement cycle; 749 devices were reported in repair during the discussion. Cataldo said the district has installed wireless access points in classrooms and hallways and that infrastructure funding is included in the proposed budget; principals should report ‘‘dead spots’’ to the technology team so engineers can adjust or add access points. The administration explained that while inventory exceeds student headcount, device access can still be uneven in practice because of devices not returned, devices in repair, or local distribution policies. The administration said principals are testing classroom sets and MiFi lending where needed and that the district will provide the board with its technology-audit and inventory reports at members’ request.

On health and student supports, the superintendent said the administration has added social-work and psychologist positions in recent years and continues to fund programs such as CareSolace and Panorama; officials also noted a psychologist internship program in the budget. The CFO and academic staff said the district uses contract psychologists in some cases because recruitment and retention for those positions remains challenging.

The superintendent’s presentation included a proposed capital improvement budget of $253,000,000 and a multi-step calendar: the public hearing on March 5, board adoption on March 19 (recommended), submission to City Council by April 1, and final school-board adoption after the council appropriates funds in May. The administration said state revenue numbers remain preliminary until the General Assembly’s final appropriation is confirmed and that the board would have an opportunity to amend the budget if additional state funds arrive.

Board members asked that staff provide comparative salary tables showing how Norfolk’s teacher pay and classified pay stack up against neighboring divisions, a technology-inventory and repair report, and a breakdown of tutoring expenditures by provider type. The superintendent and CFO agreed to provide those items and to return with more granular fiscal estimates if the General Assembly’s appropriation changes.

Ending: The board did not take a final adoption vote at the workshop; the administration requested and scheduled follow-up steps tied to the March 5 public hearing and the recommended March 19 adoption vote.