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Union and parents urge Virginia Beach school board to use new state funds for larger raises
Summary
At the Feb. 25 Virginia Beach School Board meeting, union leaders, teachers and parents urged the board to use newly announced state funding to provide larger pay increases for instructional and support staff than the district’s proposed operating budget includes.
Heather Sipe, president of the Virginia Beach Education Association, told the School Board of the City of Virginia Beach on Feb. 25 that the recently passed state budget will send new recurring and one‑time funds to the district and urged trustees to use that money to increase staff pay.
“We have won full elimination of the support cap. For VBCPS, this means an additional $10,900,000 in funding for our essential education support professionals,” Sipe said, and added that the district will receive additional funds for special education and English‑language learners as well as one‑time bonuses.
Sipe framed the numbers she reported to the board as follows: roughly $10.9 million from lifting the support cap, about $2.7 million for special education add‑ons, about $2.7 million for English‑language learners, and a separate $6.6 million in one‑time bonuses for staff. Excluding one‑time funds, she said, the district can expect about $16.3 million in new recurring state aid; including the one‑time bonus funds brings the total she cited to about $22.9 million.
The public commenters who followed urged the board to translate those state dollars into larger pay raises for employees. Natalie Bray, a parent and PTA volunteer, said Virginia Beach pays teachers less than neighboring districts and urged the board to “change this” to retain high‑quality educators.
Andrea Eisenberger, an art specialist at 3 Oaks Elementary and vice president of the Virginia Beach Education Association, described personal financial strain after the recent death of her husband and said a 3.5 percent raise would not keep pace with rising living costs. “A vast majority of your staff is hurting financially,” Eisenberger said. She urged trustees to consider the VEA recommendation for larger increases, saying some of the newly announced state funding could be used for staff pay.
Board members did not take budget action during the comment period; the hearing was part of the scheduled public comment on the proposed fiscal‑year 2025–26 operating budget and the six‑year capital improvement plan. Trustees heard both organized union testimony and individual parent testimony urging higher pay to improve recruitment and retention.
Why this matters: The new state funds described by speakers are recurring and one‑time elements of the state budget and may be restricted in how they are used. Commenters and union leaders asked the board to prioritize direct compensation increases for instructional and support staff when the board and administration finalize the local budget.
What’s next: The public‑hearing comments will be part of the record the board considers as it develops and ultimately adopts the FY 2025–26 budget in coming weeks.
