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Culpeper school board adopts FY‑26 operating budget after staff trims shortfall
Summary
The Culpeper County School Board approved a $124.6 million FY‑26 operating budget 7‑0 on March 10 after staff reduced requested positions and other costs to narrow an estimated state funding shortfall to roughly $750,000.
The Culpeper County School Board on March 10 approved its fiscal year 2026 operating budget, voting 7‑0 to adopt the spending plan presented by the superintendent and finance staff.
Board member Miss Brown moved approval of the budget “as Doctor Bratz presented,” and the motion passed unanimously. The board also approved the consent agenda earlier in the meeting and a local parent‑family engagement policy by unanimous votes.
School leaders said the budget adopted Wednesday reflects recent changes to the state funding outlook and local adjustments. Superintendent Doctor Bratz and Executive Director of Finance Mr. Dean told the board they used a newly released conferees calc tool from the Virginia General Assembly to refine revenue estimates. The calc tool showed a conferees increase over FY‑25 of “just over $4,200,000,” but that figure was about $177,000 lower than planners had previously estimated, Bratz said. After trimming some requests and using available one‑time funds, staff said the remaining shortfall is “back at 3 quarters of a million dollars.”
The budget package includes a compensation plan informed by the commonwealth’s recommendation of a 3% salary increase for SOQ (Standards of Quality) positions. Bratz said the division proposes a combination of scale adjustments and flat increases so that teachers would receive a minimum increase of roughly 3.08% (a 2.2% scale adjustment plus step movement), other open‑range staff a 3% flat increase, and classified staff step increments consistent with their respective scales.
Staff also reduced proposed new personnel between the work‑session presentation and this meeting. Administration reported cutting the count of newly requested full‑time equivalents from eight to six, and trimming one high‑school teaching position from the as‑requested total to leave a net request of about 3.8 new teaching FTEs pending enrollment review.
Other adjustments shown in the presentation include a correction to an overestimated VRS (Virginia Retirement System) reduction from the prior budget cycle, a small premium increase for employee health insurance that affects both employee and employer shares, and use of one‑time federal and state grant balances (including VPSA/BPSA funds previously received) to cover some recurring costs this year. Staff noted some insurance and workers’ compensation savings realized after a change of carriers.
Administration recommended the board forward the approved budget presentation to the Culpeper County Board of Supervisors; Bratz said that presentation is scheduled for Thursday at 4:30 p.m.
Votes at a glance: consent agenda — approved 7‑0; FY‑26 operating budget — approved 7‑0; Local Educational Agency Parent/Family Engagement Policy — approved 7‑0; motion to convene closed session pursuant to Virginia Code §2.2‑3711(A)(1) for personnel matters — approved 7‑0.
Board members who spoke during the budget discussion thanked staff for narrowing the gap and for explaining the state calc tool and its caveats. Administration emphasized that the conferees calc tool still requires final General Assembly and governor action and that the division used it as a planning tool rather than a final guarantee.
