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Parents and teachers press FCPS to protect special education staffing and pay in FY2027
Summary
A special-education teacher and parents told the Fairfax County School Board that staffing and compensation remain insufficient, noting FCPS's share of county funding has dipped and school psychologist-to-student ratios fall well short of professional recommendations.
At the May 12 public hearing on the Fairfax County Public Schools FY2027 approved budget, a special-education teacher and parents urged the board to secure funding to retain staff and to address shortages in school psychologists and instructional support.
A special-education teacher speaking as an individual said the district will receive "51.2% of the general fund disbursements this year, down from 51.5% the past 2 years," and called for upholding collective bargaining terms with a step increase and a 3% market scale adjustment to retain educators and operational staff. The teacher thanked the superintendent for a budget that funds special-education positions centrally and preserves FEU bargaining units.
Parent Eli Bolotin said his daughter's kindergarten class had 23 students last year but this year started at 26; second-grade classes reached 28 students. He praised restored funding for department chairs and AARTs but cautioned that large class sizes and a shortage of school psychologists harm students, noting the National Association of School Psychologists recommends an "ideal ratio of 500 students for every psychologist" while FCPS's current ratio is "1,300 to 1."
Nut graf: Multiple speakers framed staffing and compensation as matters of retention and service quality: the teacher focused on salary and contractual adjustments, while a parent emphasized classroom ratios and limited access to mental-health supports.
Board response: There was no formal board vote at the hearing. The board staff reiterated opportunities for written comment before the scheduled May 21 budget action.
