Lynchburg school staff present $7.16 million FY27 locality funding request, outline compensation and program priorities

At a Lynchburg City Public Schools work session, the division presented a package of FY27 budget requests that would add $7,161,238 in locality funding above the current operating budget.

The presenter, identified in the transcript as Dr. Midget, said the packet consolidates board requests, staff submissions and public comment and separates items she is recommending from those she is not. "The proposed is for us to have a 2% one time bonus and that's going to be $1.7 million," she said, describing the governor's recommendation and a DOE calculation tool that has not yet provided final templates or compensation-supplement detail.

Why it matters: the request bundles compensation, staffing and operations items the division says are needed to maintain services and expand targeted programs. The presenter described multiple compensation scenarios so the board could provide direction before she presents the superintendent's proposed budget on Jan. 20.

Key details: the recommended options the presenter walked through included a 2% across-the-board increase (estimated at roughly $1.7 million including benefits), raising hourly base pay from $17 to $20 (estimated about $1.4 million), and step increases for groups eligible for multi-year step adjustments (another estimated $1.7 million). The presenter said the total of recommended requests and projected increases — including an estimated liability insurance increase — totals $7,161,238 in additional locality funding.

The division also proposed program and staffing items: two additional full-time special-education supervisor positions to support compliance and families; expanded alternative-education capacity with an estimated $350,000 of resources that the presenter said could serve roughly 80 additional students across sites (about 50 elementary, 30 secondary at an alternate location); and reinstating board stipends and school-level communication liaisons to improve family outreach.

Capital and operational requests included $75,000 for grounds and small-engine equipment, school nutrition equipment upgrades (walk-in freezers, refrigerators and dishwashers), and an assessment of bus routes before committing to fleet purchases. The presenter said the division is evaluating a transition from Infinite Campus to PowerSchool for its student information system to improve usability for staff and parents and to support assessment tools.

Not recommended items: some requests were listed as not recommended pending further information or fund-balance decisions, including certain rebranding costs, possible electric bus charger upgrades (which may be covered by a previously approved fund-balance transfer to city council) and a $200,000 tuition-training reimbursement request the presenter said required a more detailed retention and design plan.

Board reaction and process notes: board members pressed for contingency planning if the locality does not fund the full request, asked for clarity on which positions could be filled by volunteers (the presenter discouraged using volunteers for discipline-oriented "dean" roles), and questioned timing when state-level compensation decisions could change midyear. One board member urged presenting a "budget of need, not a budget of what the city can afford," language the presenter said she is legally obligated to frame as a budget of need and that she will present multiple options.

Next steps: the presenter will finalize the superintendent's proposed budget for a formal presentation to the board on Jan. 20 and publish updated documents in BoardDocs for public review. The board provided feedback but made no binding commitments on funding levels at the work session.