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Botetourt County School Board reviews FY 2026–27 budget proposal, approves student trip consent items
Summary
At a Jan. 15 budget work session, the Botetourt County School Board heard Superintendent Brandon Lee outline the FY 2026–27 budget outlook — noting state proposals for extra basic-aid and construction funding and a proposed 2% salary increase over each year of the biennium — and approved routine agenda and three student-trip consent items.
The Botetourt County School Board met for a budget work session on Jan. 15, 2026, and heard a presentation on the division’s proposed FY 2026–27 budget and the governor’s preliminary state budget proposals.
Superintendent Brandon Lee presented the budget-development overview, telling the board the governor’s biennial proposal includes roughly $500 million in additional funding for basic aid and about $290 million for construction-related grants. “We have never qualified for any of these dollars,” Lee said, referring to the construction grant program (SCAP), which he described as application-based.
Lee also summarized statewide fiscal context, saying Virginia had five straight years of surplus and about $2 billion in cash reserves. The governor’s proposal, Lee said, would include a 2% pay increase in each year of the coming biennium for school employees. He noted the state is maintaining conservative revenue projections and that enrollment across the Commonwealth is trending downward.
Local indicators Lee described included a rise in Botetourt County property values and taxable sales compared with state averages, and an increase in the locality’s composite index that would shift more of the funding burden to local taxpayers if the trend continues. Lee referenced the division’s average daily membership (ADM) and the state’s projected ADM calculations (the presentation listed an ADM of about 4,217 and a proposed projection near 4,200), and said staff are reviewing personnel assignments, possible scale increases for classified employees and health-insurance options; district staff are working with Marsh & McLennan on an RFP for benefits.
Board members asked for and received context about how small changes in the composite index can produce large local budget impacts. The presentation covered benchmarking updates, at-risk and early-reading intervention funding, and continuing emphasis on the Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI).
On routine business, Chair Anna Weddle led the meeting and the board approved the meeting agenda after a motion from Tim Davidick and a second from Dana McCaleb. The board also approved a consent agenda that included three student trip requests: Lord Botetourt High School to Blountville, Tenn., on Jan. 24, 2026; a Midlothian, Va., trip in February 2026; and a trip to Virginia Beach from Feb. 27–March 1, 2026. The motions to approve the agenda and the consent items were recorded as carried by members Anna Weddle, Dana McCaleb, Matt East and Tim Davidick; Jenny Wilson was noted as absent.
The board listed upcoming meetings for Feb. 18 and March 4, 2026 (with possible additional meetings on March 12 and March 19, including an evening meeting option on March 12), and adjourned at 9:09 a.m.
Votes at a glance: The meeting record shows the agenda-approval motion (mover: Tim Davidick; second: Dana McCaleb) carried with four recorded yes votes (Weddle, McCaleb, East, Davidick). The consent agenda — which included the three student trips — was approved on a motion by Dana McCaleb, seconded by Tim Davidick, with the same four yes votes recorded.
