Pittsylvania school board forwards $4.5 million in budget priorities, seeks roughly $900,000 more from county

The Pittsylvania County School Board voted Feb. 10 to forward a package of budget priorities for fiscal 2026–27 that totals about $4.5 million and includes a proposed 3.5% salary increase and a series of maintenance and program costs.

Miss Querley, presenting the budget committee’s slate, told the board the 3.5% raise proposed for July 1, 2026, “consists of a 2% cost of living adjustment, along with a step increase if the employee is applicable.” She said the priorities also include maintaining several specialty support positions previously funded with CARES and other one-time funds, cybersecurity and software costs, metal detectors, a four-post lift for the transportation department, periodic chiller refurbishments, gym floor replacements, water system upgrades and parking and paving projects.

“That list totals about $4,500,000,” Miss Querley said during the presentation. She summarized state revenue expectations as roughly $2.3 million and said, to preserve recent local funding patterns, the county would need to provide roughly $1.3 million more; when combined with other sources that leaves the school division planning to ask the Board of Supervisors for “almost an additional $1,000,000, about $900,000,” to meet the priorities presented.

The board voted to carry the budget priorities forward to the Board of Supervisors; the joint budget meeting is scheduled for Feb. 17 at 3 p.m. at the ECC Auditorium, the superintendent noted. The presentation did not finalize appropriations; it set the division’s request and priorities for upcoming supervisor discussions.

What the board approved to forward are priorities and requests, not an adopted budget. Board members and staff said they will continue to monitor state budget actions — including whether state contracts such as Canvas continue to be covered by the state — before the division finalizes its local request.

Next steps: the school division will present the priorities to the Board of Supervisors at the joint meeting on Feb. 17; any change in revenue estimates from the state or the supervisors’ decisions will affect final local budget proposals.