Oak Ridge Schools previews FY26 budget with staffing focus, proposes minimum 5% raise for all employees

Oak Ridge Schools officials presented high-level FY26 budget concepts that place staffing and compensation at the center of planning, including a proposed consolidated salary schedule that guarantees a minimum 5% increase for all employees.

"All of our employees will get a minimum of a 5% increase on that," Miss Van Dyke said, summarizing the district’s compensation approach for FY26. She described the schedule as percentage-based and emphasized that it is not calculated from current salaries but from the new consolidated schedule under development.

Presenters said revenues are up modestly and expenses are on track, but health insurance rates remain unknown pending state and insurer announcements typically provided in late May or June. The district reported making scheduled payments for ESG improvements and planned to use set-aside funds to purchase laptops for grades five through twelve.

Miss Van Dyke said the district projects an enrollment increase of about 79 students for the coming school year; she also noted the district requested a $700,000 maintenance-of-effort increase from the city and was awaiting a response. Retirement contribution estimates for licensed staff were described as decreasing to 5.77% based on state-provided actuarial rates, while non-licensed staff benefits were expected to remain stable.

Administrators framed the presentation as early-stage planning and said a more detailed budget document would be published later in the week and shared on the district website. The board scheduled further budget work sessions, including a line-by-line review and a May 19 meeting to adopt the FY26 budget.

The presentation positioned staffing and compensation as the district’s priority for FY26 while recognizing funding uncertainties that could alter final allocations.