Roanoke school board adopts preliminary 2026–27 categorical budget and 10‑year CIP as students and parents warn of cuts

The Roanoke City Public Schools board voted unanimously on March 10 to adopt a preliminary 2026–27 categorical budget for submission to the city and approved the district’s 10‑year capital improvement plan, while hearing repeated public pleas to prioritize students as administrators weigh possible cuts.

Community members and students told the board the division is confronting a $16.5 million shortfall after a change in the city funding formula reduced the share of new tax revenue going to schools. “Rono City Public Schools is facing a $16.5 million budget deficit due to changes in the city's funding formula, which reduced the students share of tax revenue from 40% to 34%,” said Christian Bernett, a Patrick Henry High School student and president of the local NAACP youth council.

Why it matters: district leaders said the board must submit a categorical budget by a city deadline while state budget negotiations (House vs. Senate) could change the division’s final allocation. Chief Financial Officer Kathleen Jackson said the division was asking the board to approve a conservative plan now because the General Assembly’s final budget—expected this week—could add between about $2 million (Senate scenario) and several million more (House scenario) to RCPS revenue, but that state action is not yet final. “No cuts are being announced tonight. Those decisions have not been made yet,” Jackson told the board.

What the board did: after presentation and discussion, the board approved the preliminary categorical budget as presented and voted to send it to the city for its budget process. The board also approved a 10‑year capital improvement plan covering fiscal years 2027–2036 after Chief Operations Officer Chris Perkins reviewed projects and a new capital development SOP intended to keep multi‑year maintenance on track.

Public concerns voiced at the meeting focused on transportation, program access and the effect on enrichment and special programs. Several students and parents warned that cuts to after‑school activity buses, gifted services or signature programs could disproportionately affect lower‑income students and participation in athletics and clubs. Dena Anderson, Highland Park PTA president, said her daughter’s progress hinged on an intervention program and urged the board not to cut it: “Plato makes up a third of Highland Park Elementary School, and a third is huge.”

Board and staff responses: Superintendent Dr. White and CFO Jackson repeatedly emphasized the provisional nature of the budget vote. Jackson explained the division was using a conservative (Senate‑level) revenue estimate to avoid committing to ongoing expenses without final state figures and noted specific items under review—steps and scales for a proposed 2% pay raise, a projected 10% increase in health‑benefit costs, and potential reductions that range from deferred facilities maintenance to programmatic changes.

Other action: the board voted to designate April 21, 2026, as a non‑student day observed as a teacher workday because nine district buildings are scheduled to serve as voting precincts for a statewide referendum. That motion was introduced after Chief Instructional & Administrative Officer Archie Freeman said conducting normal instruction while large numbers of citizens are on school campuses would present safety and logistic issues.

Next steps: district staff said they will continue to collect data, field requests from board members for more detailed breakdowns (for example, activity‑bus usage by day and origin), survey families of affected programs (including Plato/Play‑Doh parents), and update the board as the General Assembly finalizes the state budget. A final, line‑item budget adoption is scheduled for the June board meeting.