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Unions praise compensation and restorations while taxpayers warn of transfer and tax impacts

Fairfax County School Board · February 11, 2026

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Summary

At the Feb. 10 hearing, union leaders and employees praised the superintendent's proposed FY2027 budget for funding negotiated raises and restoring positions, while a taxpayers' group and a county employee representative warned that a proposed $138 million transfer increase could raise real estate taxes and shift cuts elsewhere.

Speakers at the Fairfax County School Board public hearing presented sharply different views on the proposed FY2027 budget.

Emily Vanderhoff, president of the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers, said the proposed budget fully funds negotiated compensation in year two of FEU contracts, restores elementary AARTs and special education department chairs, converts family liaisons to contracted employees and partially restores the class-size formula. "I urge the board to adopt this budget," Vanderhoff said, adding that the union would support funding efforts this year.

By contrast, Arthur Purvis, president of the Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance, criticized what he described as a proposed $138 million increase in the county transfer to schools and framed it as a 4-cent rise in the real estate tax rate. Purvis argued the district's reliance on SAT scores to justify increases obscures demographic disparities in scores and recommended a salary freeze until student outcome metrics improve.

Norm Hall, chair of the Fairfax County Employee Advisory Council, urged attention to county budget projections and equity between county and school wage provisions. Hall warned that a large transfer request could translate into cuts to county programs and staff if the county cannot accommodate the increase.

Other commenters — including classroom teachers and parents — asked the board to prioritize competitive compensation, earlier communication about potential cuts, and careful consideration of class size and staffing trade-offs if revenues fall short. The board will take up the FY2027 proposed budget at its Feb. 26 meeting.