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Hampton City Schools proposes $1.9 million boost to teacher pay in revised 2026-27 budget
Summary
Chief Financial Officer Brittany Branch presented a revised FY2026-27 budget that preserves a 3% compensation increase and recommends an additional $1.9 million to the teacher salary scale, funded in part by a projected $2.1 million increase in the city's local contribution; the board moved the budget to action.
Chief Financial Officer Brittany Branch told the Hampton City School Board on March 18 that the division's revised fiscal year 2026-27 budget recommendation preserves a 3% general compensation increase and adds a targeted $1.9 million investment to the teacher salary scale.
Branch said the city's preliminary local funding projection, based on a formula that shares roughly 61.83% of certain tax revenues with the school division, is expected to raise the city's local contribution by about $2.1 million to approximately $101.2 million for 2026-27. "This budget still recommends a 3% compensation increase with no increase to employee healthcare premiums," Branch said. "We are recommending to invest $1.9 million into our teacher salary scale next year."
The proposed $1.9 million would be applied as an added step and degree incentive: Branch described a $500 increase to teacher steps and $1,100 for each year of master's-level education and above. She provided sample calculations showing hypothetical teachers moving up in pay under the plan and said total compensation figures (salary plus benefits) would increase accordingly. "With the recommendations presented the salary for July 1, 2026 will be..." she said, then cited step examples for illustration.
Branch also said the recommendation would apply to grant-funded teachers and that the division plans to move three special-education positions from the SPED grant (Fund 60) into the operating fund (Fund 50) to sustain the pay increases for those positions. She noted the General Assembly was set to reconvene April 23 and the division would monitor any state budget changes before finalizing local decisions. The division must submit its budget before March 31, 2026, Branch said.
Why it matters: The board called teacher compensation its top community priority during recent planning work. Board members heard the details and sought clarification about grant-funded positions and the mechanics of the proposed adjustments. After the presentation, the board moved the superintendent's recommended budget to the action docket for consideration.
The board will consider final approval in a later action meeting and said it will return with any state-driven changes after the General Assembly reconvenes.
