Superintendent lays out preliminary FY27 budget priorities as division grapples with higher testing rigor and rising contract costs

Superintendent Dr. Christopher Gurley presented a preliminary FY27 budget overview at a joint work session, telling the council and school board the plan is a needs‑based projection aligned to the division’s strategic plan.

Gurley said the division’s priorities for the coming year are compensation and retention, student supports and achievement, facilities maintenance and capital improvements, and expansion of early childhood programming. "This presentation will include projections of what we expect to be reflected in the FY '27 budget," Gurley said at the outset of the 90‑minute briefing.

Why it matters: city funding provides roughly 63% of the division’s revenue and the board must set local priorities before state figures are finalized. Gurley warned that the Virginia Department of Education’s new accountability system — and a later‑than‑normal release of results — limit the division’s ability to use those data to shape short‑term allocations.

Key fiscal figures and staffing: Gurley said salaries and benefits for FY26 total $91,900,000 (about 74% of the division budget) and that collective bargaining anticipates a…