Culpeper County schools anticipate a small budget shortfall; public hearing set for March 9
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Summary
Superintendent Dr. Tony Bridal and finance director Neil Dean told the Culpeper County School Board that state funding provides roughly two-thirds of the budget and that enrollment dips could create a roughly $1.2 million shortfall (about 1%). A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for March 9; the board plans a presentation to the Board of Supervisors March 12.
Culpeper County Public Schools officials told the board that the division faces a modest revenue risk heading into the fiscal year 2027 budget process and set a public hearing for March 9.
"What's pivotal for us will be coming up on February 22," Division Superintendent Dr. Tony Bridal said, referring to the General Assembly "budget Sunday" when House and Senate committees release their recommendations. He urged the board to be prepared to pivot quickly if those recommendations alter the governor's proposal.
Finance director Neil Dean said state revenue represents about 66% of the school division's budget, with the county supplying roughly 29%. Dean reported enrollment trends drive state funding: enrollment had peaked near 8,200 students, dropped in January to 8,134, and he projected roughly 8,150 for March. He estimated a shortfall tied to 165 fewer members of about $1,200,000, which he characterized as roughly 1% of the division's revenue budget.
"So that's a shortfall, 165 members, or 1,200,000. So that's right at 1% of our revenue budget," Dean said.
Dean said the division expects to offset some of the gap through stronger-than-budgeted local revenue (including facility rentals) and by trending below budget on some expenditures. He presented operating and food-service fund figures and noted January spending benefited from being a short month and from lower-than-expected expenditures compared with the prior year.
Operations and facilities updates followed. Dr. Bridal, filling in for operations staff, said snow-and-ice work enabled schools to reopen with about 90% attendance on the first day back and praised maintenance and transportation staff. He showed progress on capital projects at Central Middle School (CMS) and Mountain Run, noted donated artificial turf for high-school batting cages, and discussed technology upgrades including wireless access points.
Dr. Bridal also discussed transportation routing (about 70% AM and 72—6% PM routed) and said the division is working with bus patrol and drivers to improve stop-arm citation certification through training and earlier activation of amber lights.
The board scheduled a public hearing on the education portion of the FY27 budget for March 9, with the possibility of a final vote that evening, and planned to present an approved budget to the Board of Supervisors on March 12.
What happens next: the board will monitor the General Assembly releases on Feb. 22 and may adjust estimates before the March 9 public hearing.
