Henrico presents $27.7 million FY2027 spending plan; board presses for staffing, program and transparency details
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Summary
Henrico County Public Schools presented a FY2027 recommended budget that increases the general fund by about $27.7 million (3.6%). Board members praised investments in career ladders, ELL and student supports, and requested clearer personnel vs. operating breakdowns and plans to staff added HVAC and skilled-trade positions.
The Henrico County School Board heard an overview of the superintendent's recommended fiscal year 2027 budget on Jan. 22, which staff said would increase the general fund by about $27,700,000, or roughly 3.6%, compared with the current-year adopted plan.
Chief Financial Officer John Wack, who presented the proposal, said the recommended plan focuses on instructional staffing, operational needs, year three of the Henrico Cares behavioral-health initiative and expansion of the division's career ladder and opportunity-schools efforts. "Our general fund budget is increasing by about $27,700,000 or 3.6% compared to the current year adopted budget," Wack said. He and other staff noted the recommendation does not include employee salary increases, which will be addressed through the county's unified pay-plan process.
Board members responded with a mix of praise and requests for greater detail. Miss Kinsella highlighted the career ladder and opportunity-schools expansions and pressed for additional custodial staffing and resources to support students and staff affected by recent boundary changes. Miss Shay asked staff to provide a personnel-versus-nonpersonnel breakdown within each major spending category to make it easier for board members and the public to see how much of each pie slice is salaries and benefits versus operating costs. Wack said the full budget document contains line-item detail and personnel subtotals, and staff can produce an illustrative pie chart separating personnel and operating costs for presentation use.
Other board priorities raised during the question-and-answer period included adding English-language-learner teachers to meet new state requirements, bolstering exceptional-education supports, adding skilled-trade and HVAC positions to address maintenance and indoor-environment needs, expanding counselors and telehealth under Henrico Cares, and converting temporary instructional-assistant slots into full-time positions. Several members urged the division to consider market-based pay analyses for facilities positions to ensure the new roles can be filled.
The superintendent's recommended calendar of next steps calls for a public hearing on the spending plan at 5 p.m. on Feb. 12, board consideration and potential approval on Feb. 26, and final adoption after the county adopts its budget in April.
What happens next: The board will hold a public hearing Feb. 12 and is scheduled to consider the budget with amendments on Feb. 26; salary increases remain subject to the county's unified pay-plan process.