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County schools’ government relations director previews Virginia priorities; board presses on testing and funding
Summary
Michael Malloy of Fairfax County Public Schools outlined state budget timing, 'rebenchmarking' funding mechanics, potential changes to SOL testing and accountability, and other priorities including HVAC inspections and school meals; board members pressed for detail on testing impacts and federal funding uncertainty.
Michael Malloy, director of government relations for Fairfax County Public Schools, provided a legislative preview to the City of Fairfax School Board on Dec. 1, outlining how the incoming state executive administration and changes in the House could affect education budgeting and policy in the 2026 session.
Malloy described 'rebenchmarking' — the biennial update of funding formulas that reflect current enrollment, inflation, bus fuel and other cost drivers — and said correctly calculating and fully funding rebenchmarking is critical because it determines state contributions to local education costs. He noted the outgoing governor will present the proposed biennial budget on Dec. 17 and cautioned that projected new revenues are largely already committed to existing formula updates and other demands such as Medicaid.
On pensions, Malloy told the board the VRS actuary is proposing lower contribution rates, which could reduce local and state costs if the General Assembly accepts the proposal; he emphasized that the legislature can adjust or reject those rates.
Malloy highlighted potential policy changes affecting assessments and accountability: among examples were giving SOLs in the last two weeks of school and tying a component of course grades to SOL results. He said some changes stem from the Virginia Board of Education and others from the General Assembly. Malloy and board members discussed concerns about overtesting, the timing of assessment changes and the need for sufficient lead time and pretesting when new assessments are introduced.
Other priorities Malloy flagged included legislative discussion of HVAC inspection requirements without dedicated remediation funding, renewed bills on universal student breakfasts, FOIA modernization (including public-meeting thresholds by board size and rules for electronic records), and educational-governance changes to appointment processes.
Board members asked whether the previously vetoed 1% sales tax bill might return; Malloy said it has been prefiled and that the incoming governor’s support increases the prospect it could pass. Members also raised the instability and shifting structure of some federal grant programs; Malloy said some federal grants are now administered on a reimbursement basis rather than forward-funded and that the office is monitoring those developments.
Malloy offered to provide board members with handouts and talking points during session and to supply more granular data when requested. The presentation generated extended questions from the board and no formal votes.
