Buchanan County school board approves presented 2025–26 budget after public hearing

The Buchanan County Public Schools board approved the presented 2025–26 superintendent budget after a public hearing and roll‑call vote.

At the start of the meeting the chair introduced Miss Tester as the presenter for the proposed 2025–26 budget. The superintendent, speaking in the first person, framed the financial plan as focused on ‘‘providing the highest quality education for all of our 2,206 students’’ and said the budget is meant to ‘‘support student achievement, staff excellence, and overall district success.’’

The budget presentation reviewed the district’s revenue streams — state, local and federal funds — and noted the board built the plan using the General Assembly’s funding assumptions and Governor Youngkin’s proposed adjustments as context. Presenters told the board they used a conservative March 31 average daily membership (ADM) figure as the baseline; the state’s revised ADM projection cited in the presentation was 2,132.4, and the district reported current enrollment near 2,197.

Presenter figures included a stated school‑operating total around $47,959,739 and a combined school construction and operating program total near $150,086,212. The presenter pointed out a transcript misprint in one line and verbally corrected a figure during the presentation.

Board members asked for clarification on county level funding and the basis for enrollment assumptions. The presenter explained the use of March 31 ADM as a conservative approach that guards against mid‑year shortfalls: if actual ADM rises above the projection the division would recognize additional revenue.

After the public hearing portion concluded, the chair called for a motion to approve the presented budget. The motion and second were recorded and a roll‑call vote was held; the board approved the presented 2025–26 budget in that roll‑call.

In the same meeting the board approved two late change orders tied to the Southern Gap High School work (one early‑site package change order for $47,001.80 and a building package credit of $8,755.12, approved pending legal review) and voted to request additional appropriations from the county: $3,741,760 to the school operation fund (federal funding) and $10,000,000 to the school construction fund (a $13,741,760.92 total request). One board member said during roll‑call that they would vote no on the appropriation request because they did not understand it; the request nonetheless moved forward for discussion with county supervisors.

What’s next: the board ratified the public hearing vote later in the agenda and flagged follow‑up with administration and legal staff for outstanding questions on insurance and line‑item clarifications.