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Danville school leaders outline $2025-26 budget request emphasizing raises, safety upgrades and CTE expansion
Summary
The superintendent's office presented a 2025-26 budget request prioritizing student achievement, building improvements and employee compensation, including an 8% certified-staff raise request and new safety and CTE investments; public hearings are scheduled in March and the board will return for adoption after city and state budgets are finalized.
Miss Gillis presented the Danville School Board with the superintendents proposed budget request for fiscal year 2025-26, saying the plan focuses on student achievement, safe schools, supports for learning, facilities improvements and employee compensation.
The presentation laid out several specific proposals: a requested 8% salary increase for certified staff (the state is providing 3% plus a one-time bonus), a 4% increase for other teaching employees plus a $1,000 one-time bonus, investments in high-quality instructional materials and literacy supports, expanded career and technical education (CTE) course offerings at George Washington High School and other campuses, and a series of facility projects including renovation of George Washington High School, a new Langston campus, and a planned Arnaud Hills elementary school.
On safety, Miss Gillis described measures the district plans to fund or pilot, including enhanced bus-camera systems and a security-analyst position to monitor cameras across facilities, expanded hall monitoring and additional training for security staff. She said the district would pilot ID-badge boarding at Park Avenue Elementary to better track riders and reported a proposed security enhancement line that the presentation referenced as $100,000 within a larger budget snapshot.
Miss Gillis also outlined revenue assumptions and requests: the district anticipates a 4% increase from the Commonwealth but said final numbers will depend on the states adopted budget; the presentation identified a city request of $4,600,000 and projected federal revenue increases of about $1,700,000. She said salaries and benefits make up roughly 80% of the districts proposed expenditures, and instructional services account for about 66% when budget is categorized by function.
The board and staff discussed cost details and next steps. Miss Gillis said staff have been sharing the proposal at faculty meetings and that the board will hold public hearings on March 6 and March 20; the board is scheduled to approve a budget request to the city April 3, with a final adoption on June 26 after city and state decisions.
The presentation prompted several requests for follow-up information, including itemized details behind large accounts-payable checks and further clarification on implementation timelines for requested safety positions and pilot programs. Miss Gillis said staff would provide additional detail after the meeting.
The superintendents proposed budget is scheduled for public hearings in early March; the school board will return for further review and final adoption once the city and state budgets are finalized.
