Goochland superintendent outlines needs-driven FY26 budget, warns of nearly $2 million shortfall

Goochland County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Armstrong told the school board during a budget workshop that staff will present a legally required balanced FY26 budget next week but that the division currently faces a shortfall of “a shade less than $2,000,000” if a local transfer does not materialize.

Dr. Armstrong framed the work as needs-based and said staff would both present a balanced budget and highlight the additional items they would pursue if new funds arrive. “We will present a balanced budget, balanced either to a local transfer number if we get it between now and then or balanced to a flat funding amount,” he said, adding that any extra funds would be used to address prioritized needs.

The presentation included a detailed enrollment model for the division’s three elementary schools (listed in materials as Bird, GES/Goodrich Elementary School and Randolph) and a set of class-size targets: 15–19 students in kindergarten–first grade, 16–20 in grades two–three, and 17–21 in grades four–five. Using those projections, staff recommended adding two elementary teachers — an additional second-grade position at Randolph and an additional kindergarten…