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Superintendent unveils FY26 ‘budget of need,’ asks localities for roughly $13.9 million
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Keever presented a fiscal year 2026 budget that includes a 3% across‑the‑board salary increase, targeted compensation-study adjustments, new FTE requests and a local funding request of about $13.9 million above current appropriations; the board discussed staffing, AP exam funding and health‑care uncertainties.
Dr. Keever (superintendent) and Miss Ewing (chief financial officer) presented the superintendent's proposed fiscal year 2026 operating budget to the Williamsburg-James City County School Board, describing it as a “budget of need” that reflects staffing requests, compensation-study priorities and strategic-plan goals.
Nut graf: The FY26 proposal includes a 3% salary increase for all staff, targeted scale adjustments recommended by a compensation study, and $16.3 million in operating-fund expenditure increases year over year. With an estimated $2.4 million increase in state revenue, the division said it will request roughly $13.9 million more from local funding partners.
Miss Ewing told the board that the proposal balances statutory and contractual obligations with investments in academic priorities, safety and organizational efficiency. The presentation cited recent enrollment at approximately 11,003–11,300 students and highlighted growing needs: a nearly 9% increase in special-education enrollment since 2021–22 and a more than 40% rise in English-language learners over the same period.
Key budget figures and proposals included a 3% pay increase for all staff; targeted teacher-scale adjustments and a plan to begin implementing a multi‑year compensation study; funding to cover part of an estimated 15% increase in health-care costs (proposed sharing: 70% WJCC, 30% employees); additional FTEs for classroom and support staff; and a proposal to pay AP exam fees for students enrolled in AP courses to remove financial barriers and support updated accreditation expectations.
Board members asked for more specifics about the number of entirely new positions versus reclassifications or grant-backed roles and pressed for more data tying proposed positions to expected student outcomes. Several members asked for clearer health‑care cost estimates before finalizing local funding requests. Miss Ewing and Dr. Keever said some items (about $7.7 million in additional needs) were identified as necessary but withheld from the formal proposal for future consideration.
Ending: The board scheduled a pre‑budget public hearing and additional work sessions and a joint meeting with funding partners in March. Administrators said they will provide additional breakdowns—particularly about health care, staffing counts and the projected impact of proposed positions—before final board action.
