Caroline schools outline FY26 budget priorities and open public hearing; governor’s proposals and VDOE tool add modest state funds

Caroline County Public Schools staff presented draft FY26 budget priorities at the Jan. 13 school board meeting and opened a public hearing that closed with no public speakers.

Dr. John Farley, Director of Finance, and budget staff reviewed the governor's proposed K‑12 amendments — described in the meeting as nearly $1 billion in new education funding amendments that would raise biennial state K‑12 spending to more than $22 billion — and said the VDOE planning tool released Jan. 7 yields about $1,475,000 in new recurring state funds for the division. The VDOE figures reflected allocations across compensation, English‑learner funding and sales tax/basic aid adjustments.

Staff described 49 budget requests submitted by principals and departments, which were prioritized through superintendent committees and advisory groups. Stakeholder outreach included a December survey with 481 responses and 114 open comments. Key FY26 priorities presented included:

- Compensation and benefits, including regional comparisons and planned work on instructional assistant, custodian and food-service technician scales; the governor’s biennium proposal includes a 3% salary increase effective July 1 for each year of the biennium for funded SOQ positions.
- Exceptional education staffing tied to an 18% increase in students with disabilities over two years; requests included additional LPNs, five skilled nurses, five instructional aids and teacher positions to address caseloads and compliance needs.
- Student support services and mental health: additions of a secondary mental health provider and additional counselor time to meet Virginia code guidelines.
- Technology replacement: district seeks recurring funds to sustain Chromebook refresh cycles (district must purchase ~1,162 Chromebooks at an estimated $350 each in coming cycles).

Staff noted the planning tool uses an ADM (Average Daily Membership) of 43.40 for a particular calculation and reported December ADM adjustments that raised year‑to‑date ADM to 4,345.822, above the budgeted target of 4,300. Board members asked questions about funding streams (ESSER, all‑in funds) and the sustainability of positions currently funded by temporary grants.

The public hearing was opened and, after calls for speakers, closed when no community members signed up.

Why it matters
Staffing decisions and the allocation of local versus state funds will shape whether the district can fund requested positions (exceptional education staff, counselors, classroom teachers) and sustain technology and support services. Early ADM improvements affect state funding calculations used in the budget model.

What’s next
The FY26 budget will be presented to the school board on Feb. 10 and then to the board of supervisors; the county administrator is scheduled to present the county FY26 budget March 11 with a public hearing on April 8.