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Dinwiddie superintendent asks county for $1.5M to cover pay, security and capital needs
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Weston presented a FY 2026 budget that asks the county for $1.5 million in operating support (or $1.1 million if the general assembly budget is signed), proposes a 3% compensation increase, and requests multi-year funding for a district-wide security system and expanded small capital funds.
Dr. Weston, superintendent, told the Dinwiddie County School Board that the proposed fiscal year 2026 operating budget would be built on a conservative enrollment estimate of 3,975 students and that the district needs additional local support to cover salary increases and capital needs.
"This budget really is about how we're gonna continue to manage the present, but continue to but also create the future," Dr. Weston said, introducing priorities that she said are compensation, safety and security, and investment in small capital projects.
The presentation said roughly 70% of district revenue comes from the state, about 29% from the county and less than 1% from federal sources. Using the lower enrollment figure reduced state-derived revenue compared with last year’s assumptions and left an early planning deficit of about $985,400, the superintendent said. To help close that gap, the district eliminated 11 positions during budget development, yielding approximately $931,308 in savings.
For compensation, the district proposed a 3% across-the-board increase for employees, which the presentation estimated would cost about $1,400,000 overall (approximately $882,000 for teachers and $530,000 for other staff). The superintendent said the district will ask the county for $1,500,000 toward the operating budget to help cover those increases; if the governor signs the general assembly budget as presented the district would reduce its local request to $1,100,000 and restore several instructional and student-support positions.
The superintendent also recommended the county assume the operating cost of school resource officers (SROs) that previously were largely grant-funded. "We were just informed of that this year," she said, explaining that shifting those costs into the county’s operating budget would stabilize funding for SROs going forward.
On safety and security, the district proposed an integrated, managed security system that would link school cameras and access controls to county systems. The presentation capped the project at a not-to-exceed $4,000,000 cost and proposed spreading the expense over six years at about $667,000 per year.
Dr. Weston framed the small capital request as a way to build reserves for aging facilities and routine replacements. She asked the county to increase the district’s annual small-capital allocation from $150,000 to $300,000 and described a plan to move toward leasing and a five-year fleet replacement schedule.
The presentation included other financial details the board will consider during upcoming work sessions and a joint meeting with the county on March 12. The superintendent emphasized that no formal board action was required that night and that staff would return with more detailed proposals and figures for board review.
What happens next: the board will review the proposal in work sessions and a scheduled joint board meeting with county officials on March 12 to discuss local funding and next steps.
