Roanoke City schools approve budget amendments, program cuts and superintendent furlough amendment

CFO Kathleen Jackson told the board the 2025–26 budget needed adjustments after state budget actions and year‑end forecasts. She said the general assembly added roughly $1.5 million as the state's share toward a $1,500 staff bonus but cautioned the district would need about $4 million to fully fund a $1,500 bonus for all employees.

"The state calculated that amount based on the state share, which for us is about two thirds of the cost of an average of a $1,500 bonus for standards of quality positions," Jackson said, explaining the state share alone would not cover a full $1,500 payment to every staff member and that local funding or year‑end savings would be necessary to reach the target.

The board approved amendments to recognize the additional state revenue and to reallocate district funds for bonus pay, utilities and capital project encumbrances tied largely to Preston Park construction. Later in the agenda Jackson laid out proposed programmatic reductions for fiscal year 2026–27 intended to close remaining budget gaps. Those recommendations included a partial reduction of after‑school activity buses (projected savings around $232,800), consolidating the PLATO gifted program to a single site and eliminating the third‑grade cohort there (personnel savings projected about $448,000), reducing the number of Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI) three‑year‑old classrooms from nine to three (projected personnel savings around $430,000) and multiple facilities/operations and professional development cuts. Collectively staff estimated programmatic and operational changes would save millions of dollars toward the 2026–27 shortfall.

The board moved and approved both the 2025–26 budget amendments and the programmatic changes for 2026–27 by voice votes. During later business the board also approved Amendment No. 3 to the superintendent's employment agreement to implement a five‑day furlough during the 2026–27 school year. The board first voted to waive the 30‑day notice requirement and then approved the contract amendment by roll call; the clerk recorded each present member voting yes.