Portsmouth superintendent asks city for $14.8 million to correct teacher pay compression; net city ask $9.4 million

Superintendent Dr. Bracey of Portsmouth Public Schools asked the Portsmouth City Council and school board during a joint public work session for $14.8 million to correct long-running salary compression and to fund several staff additions for the 2025–26 school year.

The request, presented March 2025 as part of the superintendent’s estimate of needs, responds to what Bracey called a multi-year lag in step increases and local pay adjustments that has left experienced teachers earning near the same as recent hires. "Tonight, I'm making my formal request for the $14.8 million to address the salary compression to our pay scales," Bracey told the council and board.

Why it matters: The division says correcting compression is necessary to retain veteran teachers and remain competitive with neighboring districts in Hampton Roads, where officials said experienced teachers can often earn $10,000–$12,000 more by moving a short commute away. School leaders linked staffing experience directly to instructional quality and to the division’s accreditation measures.

Details of the request and budget context The division presented a multi-fund budget totaling about $295.4 million, with a general fund of roughly $232.4 million. Superintendent Bracey and Theodore Faulk, who led the budget overview, said the general fund covers instruction, transportation, operations and related day-to-day school functions. Bracey identified the $14.8 million as the sum needed to "course correct our pay scales"—a separate, larger correction beyond the governor’s proposed 3% raise for SOQ-funded positions.

Bracey told the council the division has already limited and delayed initiatives and used available internal funds and state flexibility to reduce the city’s requested amount. With those offsets, the division said the net additional funding it is asking the city to provide is $9.4 million.

Staffing and program additions described in the presentation - PACE Center: four new CTE teachers (welding, automotive, building trades, cybersecurity), estimated cost $442,000. - Dual Language Immersion (DLI): three first‑grade DLI teachers for the second year of the program, estimated cost $312,000; the division said it will add teachers each year as cohorts advance. - English‑Learner staffing: 10 new ESL teachers to meet recent state changes in required staffing ratios, estimated cost $975,000. - School safety: upgrade 13 part‑time elementary security positions to full time (estimated $439,400) and add one full‑time middle school security officer (estimated $187,200). Bracey said the staffing and security items total about $2.4 million.

Funding sources and state rules The division’s revenue estimate for the coming year was about $223.0 million for operating funds, with roughly 52% from state general funds and another portion from state sales tax; local funding was listed at about 38% of operating revenue. The presenters noted two items that affect local budgeting: the state’s Standards of Quality (SOQ) funding formula and Impact Aid, the federal program tied to military-dependent and federally affected students. Council members asked about how the division measures military-dependent enrollment for Impact Aid and about recent estimates that the state’s ADM (average daily membership) showed a 62‑student decrease in the governor’s budget projections.

Questions, follow-up and timeline Council members pressed for more detail on which parts of the $14.8 million apply to classroom teachers versus other staff. At the meeting a council member referenced an instructional (teacher) portion figure near $9 million during discussion; the division’s presentation emphasized the overall $14.8 million compression correction and the $9.4 million net ask after internal offsets. Council members also asked whether pending redistricting work could affect next year’s budget; Bracey said the division had only just begun work with a consultant and could not yet quantify any budgetary impact.

Other operational items raised Officials confirmed the division submitted a capital improvement program (CIP) list to the city and said staff meet monthly with the city engineer to review projects. Bracey also said the architect for the KA school is in the design phase and the division is meeting with that firm to address site-size concerns for outdoor spaces and athletic fields.

Where decisions stand No vote or formal funding decision was taken at the work session. The superintendent’s estimate of needs was delivered to the governing bodies as required by state timelines; council members and the city manager discussed forming a small joint working group to develop a revenue‑sharing or predictable annual funding approach before formal budget adoption.

Closing note Both council and school board members emphasized shared goals of retaining experienced staff and improving outcomes; several council members expressed support for prioritizing compensation within the city’s budget discussions.